An American Twist
by Katie Scarlette
Summary: Severus Snape is a seventeen year old student who's life is about to change. It will rewrite the past we all have known. Something might just open those cynical eyes. That something? An American twist on an old tale... SS/OC
1. Chapter 1

**Chapter 1**

Long, greasy dark hair hung like curtains around his face as Severus Snape leaned his gaunt frame over his potions textbook. To the outside observer, he appeared to be obsessive and engulfed in his reading choice. His hooked nose was bent low to the ancient pages and his black eyes traveled back and forth, reading the faded ink. Eyes still glued to the page, he thrust his hand from his black wool robe out on to the counter of where he sat in the dark, gloomy potions classroom. His lithe, long fingers felt for the feather of his quill which he took hold of a pulled upright to the pages of his text. He muttered incoherently to himself as the edge of the quill scratched the page, adding to the already scribbled and lined paper. He did not notice or note anything else in the vicinity around him but his task in front of him. The classroom in the dungeons was musty and cold, so cold that students could see their breath even in the September air. Other students' heads were raised and observant as they listened in-depth to the stout and pudgy Professor Slughorn prattle on about felix felicis. Severus continued to scribble in the margins of his Advanced Potion-Making tome as footsteps resonated slowly from the hallway outside the large heavy doors. The footsteps echoed closer and closer until they halted inside the room. Professor Slughorn's voice ceased its chatter and was replaced by curious silence. The shift of heads made a simultaneous sound of necks turning and eyes craning to view the sight at Professor Slughorn's side.

"Ah!" Slughorn chuckled, holding a piece of parchment in his rounded hands while twisting his gingery long mustache. "Is it a Miss Brannigan, I see?"

"Yes." A fluid, American accented voice added in the hushed, dank dungeon.

It was then that the quill scratching stopped. The feather ceased its movement and the hooked nose rose from the shelter of the sheets below. The curtains of hair parted slightly as the dark eyes lifted up and peered from their black inky lashes. He stared blatantly at the sight in front of the room. She stood casually in her Hogwarts uniform-well, mostly Hogwarts uniform with a knee bent and body leaning against the potion master's desk. His lips twitched and then transformed into a frown as he studied her body language detecting the girl's disregard for decorum. _Lazy American,_ his thoughts sneered as he gazed at her a minute longer. He pulled his pessimistic eyes down over her form accounting each detail. Dark chestnut, glossy locks bobbed bluntly just at her chin and bright, cheerful aquamarine eyes sparkled mischievously rimmed with dark eye makeup. She was slender with creamy tanned peaches and cream skin with long lanky legs that peeked out from her uniform skirt that was a couple inches shorter than regulation. He grimaced as he saw Gryffindor colors on the gray vest that she wore but also confusingly sighted a tie with small American flags poking out at the top of her white button down shirt.

"Please take a seat in the back!" Slughorn chimed with a hummingly cheery tone.

The girl looked around with those damn sparkling eyes and Severus froze. He felt the blood drain from his face as he twisted in his seat to look down at the empty seat beside him. He turned back and saw the spark of recognition on her face as she sighted the empty spot next to him. His heart thumped in his chest as the girl's long legs glided down the stoned floors. She passed by a handsome Sirius Black and James Potter who Sirius regarded with low catcall. The girl's lips propelled into a smirk but sauntered on ignoring the appreciation with which Slughorn muttered with a smile, "Now, Mr. Black…" before turning back to his potions lecture.

"Is this seat taken?" The girl quipped even though Slughorn had obviously indicated that she was to take the selected seat. He regarded this notion, not familiar with kindness from strangers. Although he gathered this notion, he was still hesitant as he nodded silently at the person in front of him. The seat next to him scraped quietly along the hard floors and a presence shadowed the space to his right.

"Wow, you're really into Potions." The girl uttered, her jaw slack, staring at the swirly ink across the text in front of Severus. Severus' ears flamed crimson under the silk of his hair as he slammed the book closed with thump. The girl's mouth closed before Severus could remark in his head that she appeared like a gaping fish. She appeared to be un-jilted at his actions and continued on in a soft American tone, "My name's Riley."

She extended her hand out from her black robe and he met her hand with a confused expression at her lack of repulsion of him. He reluctantly extended his hand with a grimace and briefly touched it with surprise at the warmth of her soft hands. She smiled at his confusion, her eyes glittering with a knowing glimmer like she was used to handling people of all sorts. She waited for the seventeen year old boy to return her greeting and when he didn't, she quirked her black, thick natural brow.

"And your name is…"

He stared at her in unapologetic way like she had grown a second head. No one ever wanted to know his name, not even his own housemates inquired after him.

"Severus."

"Cool name." She mumbled, "I knew things would be different here. Even the names are different." She stroked her chin with a black polished thumb in thought.

"So I'm a Gryffindor, I guess, and you are?"

"Slytherin."

Riley chuckled and he watched as she laced her tanned fingers covered with all sorts of silver rings throughout her hair. "Are we opposing houses or something? Is that why I'm getting the glare stare?"

Severus jerked back in response to her words and sat gaping at her insolence.

"Close your mouth, Severus. You look like a big mouth bass." She said with laughter in her voice as her pointer finger gently tapped his chin, causing him to slam his mouth shut.

"I think we're going be great friends, don't you?"

* * *

Over the next couple of days the girl kept appearing by Severus' side in classes and in the long hallways of Hogwarts. Severus tried to thwart her efforts of friendship by treating her with a cold shoulder as she chattered on, but nothing seem to sway her or turn her away. It wasn't that he didn't find her attractive or amusing. He found her to be both of these things. The problem was he lacked his own sense of worth and the pain of rejection from Lily Evans less than two years prior ached deeply within him. He had already endured the torture of humiliation from Potter and his friends and stuck to a lonely existence with the exception of the limited tolerance some of his housemates. Friends were not on his high priority list. She was mischievous, bold, intelligent, and intriguing all at the same time.

"Severus!" She called in the hallway after lunch, quickening her pace to meet his long stride. He did not slow down, but watched as the crowd of boys she broke out of from the dining hall all stood gazing longing after her. Some glared in his direction as she approached him. _Great_ , he muttered in his head, trying to avoid the sharp scowls from the jealous looks he received. Severus prided himself on the ability to blend in with the castle so that attention to him was limited or completely avoided.

Riley's smile stretched across her face as she laid her slender hand on his forearm with a gentle touch, warmth radiating from her fingertips. He jerked his head towards her, startled with the effect she had on him even though he pushed all hope from his mind.

"Hey! I'm going to try out for the Quidditch team tonight, want to come watch?" His mouth tugged down to an indifferent line as he gawked at her. He was about to reply with a very negative comment when Sirius Black and James Potter emerged from another hall. Immediately, Severus' mind went to anger as he glared at the two boys coming into view. Riley watched as Severus' eyes followed the image in front of him and she turned her smile to them.

"Riley!" Sirius exclaimed with a boyish, impish grin mounted on his face. He gently nudged James with his elbow and James peered up through his glasses at the rebellious-looking girl and greasy git in front of him. Sirius completely ignored Severus as he and Riley slowed to a stop and stood in front of Riley, handsomely grinning at her, his eyes glittering with amusement. His black hair cascaded wavily down his chiseled cheeks and he stood with a confidence that Severus hated. Any girl would fall for his boyish looks and many had. He stepped in between Severus and Riley and threw a muscular arm around her shoulders guiding her away from Snape's side.

"Trying out for Quidditch this year?" He said continuing her walk with her down the hallway, James on her other side, leaving Severus behind.

"Yes!" Riley spouted, "I love sports! The tougher, the better." She gently turned back and paused before Sirius could guide her further on, much to Sirius' exasperation.

"Severus, you're coming tonight, right?" Severus could think of a million other things that would have suited him better and that he'd rather dedicate his time to, but glaring now at Sirius, his thoughts changed. A smirk crept up his lips, pulling some light into those dark eyes. He could feel the irritation pulsing from Sirius and James, but they saved face in front of the bold beauty at their sides.

"I suppose."


	2. Chapter 2

**Chapter 2**

Severus sat in the stands of the Quidditch pitch wondering what in bloody hell he was doing there. His dark eyes peered around at the wooden stands that were currently sparsely populated. He was the only Slytherin student sprinkled in with the few Gryffindor housemates that showed up. The sky was its normal Scottish gray, cloudy bleakness. The clouds seemed to have mirrored Severus' current mood as he stared at the back of Sirius Black and Remus Lupin's heads. Sirius was chortling on with Remus, grabbing his friend's shoulder in emphasis of the conversation that was out of Severus' ear shot. In Severus' opinion, there weren't enough wooden benches to separate him from the irritating sight in front of him. He did not find it surprising though how quickly Sirius, James, and Remus had attached themselves to Riley's side. He grimaced thinking how quickly James had attached himself to Lily Evans and how painful it was to watch her doting after Potter. How they held hands in halls between classes-they took everything of beauty away. He removed his eyes from the scene before him and glanced down at the pitch below. Students stood in the center of the giant oval-shaped field in bright scarlet and gold Quidditch uniforms. Most of the forms below were male, so it was easy to pick out the chestnut bobbed head that would be Riley. She was smirking like the cat that ate the canary. The mass of students stood about chattering excitedly as the blonde, bushy haired captain of the team placed an amplifying charm on his voice.

"Welcome to the Gryffindor Quidditch Team Tryouts! If you're looking to play for Slytherin, Hufflepuff, or Ravenclaw, you're in the wrong place!"

Some students laughed aloud at that comment and one girl with red hair turned around, waved, and pretended to jog off. That got even more laughs.

"All right, all right, mates." The captain chuckled and proceeded on, "I am the captain of this team, my name is Billdamorte Crestfellowe, but you can call me Bill."

"Or we can call you sweetheart!" A dark haired fifth year boy called out, adding to the laughter from before.

Riley's face was still smug as Bill went through the brief rules of practice: Be on time, come prepared, and come ready to play. All the players looked attentively on as Severus closed his eyes briefly and rubbed his left temple. Severus still did not understand what he was doing sitting on a cold wooden bench in the middle of September in Scotland when he could be inside, in his room by the fire, reading a book or creating a new spell. But something made him stay and watch the American girl below. It was as if there was some force holding him to that very bench. That force annoyed his logic very much. And then his breath caught as he watched as she lifted her head to the sky, hand over eyes to help see meters in front of her. She caught his gaze and waved briefly before turning away with another hapless grin. Severus froze and did not move. His face was an expressionless mask as Sirius and Remus turned around to glare at him. Sirius's face was marred with jealousy, his handsome features twisted in annoyance. Severus pretended not to notice and turned his black eyes again to the pitch. He needed to get rid of this girl before she caused him any real trouble.

Riley stood quietly with her foot softly tapping the ground as she waited for the captain to complete his long speech about the history of the Gryffindor team. She was trying out as a keeper even though witches were not typically picked for that role due to their size and muscularity. She would have to just wow them the way she did back in the US, when her skills were first doubted by her original teammates. See, you had to have strength, but you also had to have control and speed. Riley believed that she had all of these things, in a Riley-sized package.

"All right, mount your brooms!" Bill exclaimed in his Scottish accented voice.

Up they all went, heading towards the positions that they were assigned based on their requests. Riley flew swiftly over to a goal basket, showing off her agility and posting herself directly in its center. Her charcoal lined-blue eyes were set with determination as she awaited the sight of any bludgers and the quaffle. She sat high upon her broom, her chestnut locks breezing by her high cheekbones, spine straight as a board. Other potential keepers set themselves at the other nearby goal posts, eyes glancing side-to-side scoping out the competition.

Soon enough, the zooming sound of approaching Chasers roared in Riley's ears. Padded up and ready to go, she narrowed her eyes in challenge. Her grip tightened on the handle of the broom as she sighted the quaffle. An opposing chaser gripped the red, leather quaffle firmly in his bulky hand with a self-important smirk on his face. He pulled his grip back and swung the quaffle forward in release, watching as it departed from his fingertips. Without a moment's hesitation, Riley flung herself to the side and threw a leg backwards. The lanky, long leg shot forward, toes pointed in their uniformed shoes, and vaulted the ball distantly into the air, whizzing by the chaser's ear. The chaser looked on in amazement as he sat firmly on his broom, watching the ball troll off into the foggy air. As he sat, another female chaser approached, whooshing in on her broom and let a second quaffle go. It was aimed at the corner of the goal net and Riley shot up, left arm extended. With her palm outstretched, body extended, she slapped the red quaffle high into the clouds. Three more quaffles sailed past the other players heads and with a punch, punt, and elbow, they were out of there. The two chasers mouth dropped open in disbelief. Riley adjusted her broom back to the center of the post and let a smirk tug its way upon her cherry, red lips. She was used to this. People always doubted her the first time. After the first time, they never did again. She turned to her left and her right and noted that the other keeper candidates had stopped. Their eyes openly stared at her with awe.

"I think we found ourselves a keeper." Bill said, swirling his broom around to face Riley and the chasers. The chasers nodded as did the other potential keepers to her side.

"I'll be fine with losing to her, as long as she plays for Gryffindor in the Cup," muttered one of the boys competing for the position. They all nodded again, eyes faced in her direction.

Riley smirked and folded her arms.

* * *

Riley's broom tipped down and she swooped down back to the ground. After pats of congratulations on her back from her new teammates, her blue eyes peered around at the crowd. She sighted James Potter's head of untidy black hair and received a thumbs-up when she saw the flash of his hazel eyes. She smiled back and turned around, appearing to look for something or someone. When the item was not sought she turned her dark lashed eyes and slender tanned neck up to the stands again. The wooden benches were empty to her disappointment. Not that she'd admit she was disappointed. It was then she heard Sirius' genial voice call her name out of the mass of students around her. The rush of wavy black hair swayed as he walked to her, engulfing her into a hug with a muffled congratulation. She whipped her patented smirk back on her face although her eyes had a small twinkle of dissatisfaction.


	3. Chapter 3

A/N: I know there are no more notes, but thanks for the reviews so far! I'm loving this story. I know the chapters are short, but I'm writing when the inspiration strikes, which is right now. When I'm supposed to be doing work. :)

* * *

 **Chapter 3**

"Hey, Severus," Riley said, the next day, sliding into a seat next to him at the Great Hall.

"This is the Slytherin table." He muttered to her, his head, once again, deep in a book.

He hunched over, giving observers the impression that he resembled a vampire with his long, dark hair and pale skin, crouching away from the sunlight. She studied him and felt that instead of a vampire, he just appeared to be a very intelligent person, forever with his nose in a book. Other people would have been offended by his brush-off, but Riley's face glittered at the challenge. Some glares from further down the house table aimed themselves their way, daggers pointed at the Gryffindor girl. Riley knew some of Slytherin's students were not fond of Riley calling on Severus. But again, she didn't care. She did what she wanted and what she wanted was to talk to Severus.

"I didn't see you at the end of tryouts."

Severus knew this would come up, Gryffindor's were so sentimental, and it was a quality he loathed.

"I was there." He stated in an obvious tone, still not raising his head from his text in front of him.

"I know," Riley said. Her hand glided toward his forearm on the smooth tables, gently brushing his exposed skin at the wrist at the edge of his sleeve. His head popped up like a rocket at the touch of his arm. His black, deep eyes met her aquamarine crystal eyes for a second before he turned red and pulled his contacted hand under the table. The electricity of her eyes meeting his eyes was too much. He felt something pull within him as those eyes met his. He couldn't allow that feeling to resurface again. Riley did not look offended and did not push anymore contact due to his reaction. She looked disturbingly peaceful with an angelic calm on her tanned, rosy cheeked face.

"I was hoping we could celebrate afterwards."

"I do not have time for such things. I don't even know why I was there in first place."

Riley sighed, "Oh, Severus, now I see why they call you a git sometimes."

Severus' head jerked up in shock and anger. He sneered at her, his upper lip curling up as he faced her. Anyone else would have run away from him after that expression. Not Riley.

"Put that lip away, Severus, or I'll touch you again." Riley warned, in a taunting tone, fighting to keep her grin on her lips at bay. Her lips failed her and she laughed uncontrollably with her arms clutching her flat stomach. She rolled slightly to her side, tears streaming down her face. Severus stared at her, his face pale and confused. His tall frame jolted up from the seat at the table, his gangly arms gathering his books and rushing away from the hysterical girl.

Riley felt kind of bad. Kind of. It was pretty hilarious if you think about it. No boy—or man had ever flinched away from her before. It was new, it was fun, it was a challenge that she had readily accepted. Her intention wasn't to make fun of him, but the look on his face when she dared to say what she did to him. Priceless. She found it adorable really. He was just so afraid to be touched. That's why she had to catch up to him and—ugh, apologize. Without laughing. Good luck, Brannigan.

She dried her tears of mirth from her eyes and rolled herself off of Slytherin's bench, right before she blew them a kiss, of course. They all stared back at her and said nothing in retaliation. She did not care what they thought of her half-blooded or not. Her life was peaches and cream.

"See y'all later!" She said to them, walking off with a playful sway of her hips.

* * *

"Severus!" She called after him, racing out of the hall, after being glared at by a professor and a ghost for running. She shrugged her shoulders and gave her patented grin before waving to them both. The professor shook his head and the ghost trailed along in a wispy sadness.

Severus walked faster after he heard her footsteps and her call. His uniform black robe whipped behind him as he quickened his pace with his long, lanky legs. A sweet, tropical scent filled the air beside him as he turned to his right side. There she was jogging slightly beside him. She wasn't even breathing hard as she caught up to him. Her pretty tanned legs were encased with white knee high socks with blue stripes at the top and she wore platform, black mary janes.

"How do you run in those things?" Severus asked, staring at her tiny feet.

"Very well, thank you!" She chimed with a show of her jog beside him.

She ran around to his front and stood right in his path, blocking him from moving further. He glared down at her from his vast height, black hair draped around his cheekbones while she placed her hands on small, curved hips. He was a good head and neck taller than her, although she wasn't very short in stature. Most people would have found his height intimidating, if they didn't call him a bat behind his back.

"What do you want from me?" He sighed, staring down at her. She liked how his tall, broad shoulders raised up when he inhaled his deep breath.

Her lips twitched and she rolled her eyes, "I'm sorry." She said blinking with her dark lashes.

He stared at her in silence and she knew that it wasn't enough and although she wasn't good at apologies apparently she'd have to try better this time. She dropped her hands from her hips, so that they hung down past the hem of her shortened skirt. She readjusted her stance to look less casual and blinked up at him.

"I am sorry." She said clearly. "You make it so easy to tease you."

He shrunk back irritation, "I'm glad my humiliation amuses you."

"Oh, Severus," She sighed, "You know what I mean. I'm just teasing for fun. I like your reactions. You're so serious all the time."

He stared at her and she tried again. Apparently, she still wasn't good at apologizing.

"I've never met anyone like you before."

"I've never met anyone like you before either."

"I'll take it as a compliment!"

"It wasn't intended as one."

"Tomato, tamato!"

Severus shook his head at what was probably an odd muggle comment and she moved back to his side. She cocked her head in his direction as they both started walking again down the hallway.

"So where are we heading now?" She said with a smirk.

Severus sighed. It was going to be a long year at this rate. He sneaked a glance at his side, watching the glossy, chestnut head bob along side him, although it could be worse.


	4. Chapter 4

A/N: Ah ha! A longer chapter! Thanks again for the reviews so far! Hope you enjoy!

* * *

 **Chapter 4**

Riley was an odd creature, Severus thought. She had affinity for muggle items like music, which did not interest him in the least. Being a half-blooded student himself, his parents never indulged in such a pastime. His parents were never around anyhow to share their interests, he thought bitterly.

On weekends, Riley would wear muggle clothing and shirts that had band names scrolled upon them, well, that's at least what she told him they were. Strange names like Led Zeppelin, The Who, Cream, and other words that were odd to his ears were written upon her tight t-shirts, bright and bold in lettering. Not that he minded the t-shirts. When she would describe the bands, she would point to the words on her shirt, giving him a chance to gaze at her figure with all its supple curves. He didn't mind the jeans either. They were usually tight as well. They often hung low on slender, curved hips. He liked to stare at that too. What he didn't understand was the giant bell-shape that the legs of the jeans formed at the bottom. The openings for her legs were huge and Severus could not comprehend why a person needed that much space for their feet. And how did one walk around without tripping? Apparently the answer sometimes was platform sandals, which he'd also seen as she pointed out that she grew two inches overnight, not quite catching up to his much taller stature.

Severus had just stepped into the castle from a quiet, solitary visit to Hogsmeade when he found himself pulled by his arm into a corner. The castle was dimly lit as night's fingers started to touch the sky outside. He glanced down at the creature that had snagged him in the shadows and was not surprised to find the bobbed hair and wild grin of Riley. Her crystal eyes twinkled mischievously and she dropped his arm.

"Couldn't you have found something better to do this evening than lurk in the shadows?" Severus said with his slow English drawl.

"I do have something better! And you're going with me!" Riley said, her eyes still twinkling. That twinkle made him awful nervous. He had seen it a couple of times since they had met a month ago and it was never at a time when things ended well.

"I have things to do." He said with a clipped tone, trying to signify his position on her objectives.

"The first thing on your list is to come with me!" She pushed, placing her hands on her hips, in the patented Riley-will –have-her-way stance. She knew she was pushing, but when she made up her mind, she made up her mind. Severus knew he was stubborn and at times he believed he found his equal in Riley.

"Where are you going?" He uttered, looking down at her wardrobe for a hint or clue as to what she was up to. In her bellbottom jeans, Led Zeppelin band shirt, and reoccurring platforms, she gave away no information of note. It seemed to be her clothing of choice outside the Hogwarts uniform.

"I believe the correct question is, where are _we_ going?" She smirked in reply, "And Severus, if you weren't so curious, you would have left already."

He frowned at her and furrowed his brow. Damn her, she read him like a book. He had worked so hard on forming his expressionless mask that it threw him each time she saw through it. No one else could take him aback the way she did. Everyone tended to see him as the robotic individual he wanted to be. It was much easier that way. The less attention to himself the better. The last thing he wanted was another repeat of the issues he had with Potter and his band of merry idiots from previous years. Not that he was scared of them, no, he had prepared himself for future attacks, he thought coldly. He just didn't want to deal with the hassle and humiliation to seem to arrive from each and every interaction with the dunderheads.

The chestnut haired girl swiveled her way around and began to walk off quietly, leaving him in pursuit. He refused to be a puppy dog following their master so took a stride or two more and he settled in step beside her, his long legs easily catching up.

After some time, she grabbed his larger hand and dragged him around the corner of an alcove. Her smaller hand in his was warm and surprisingly soft skinned. His hand was soft, but cool in temperature with long extended fingers. His fingers felt tingly encased in hers. He tried not to concentrate on the sensation, but her touch did something to him that he couldn't comprehend. It made him so nervous and anxious. He looked down at her face, trying to see if his fingers had the same effect on her. Her blue eyes darted around, paying attention to the corridor around them. Her small, petite ears were angled up to listen for passers-by, it was then he noticed glittering, blue gem stars on her smooth ear lobes. If she felt anything, nothing indicated so on her focused face. Her dark brow furrowed with determination as she turned around to him. She bumped into him during her movement, her shoulder touching his chest, and found that they were standing right next to each other, the space between them enclosed. Her face warmed up and color crept up her normally rosy cheeks. She gently released his long fingers, sudden bashfulness in her eyes. He looked on at her and was surprised by the sudden change in her demeanor. She was always so bold. He was not accustomed to her shying away from anything.

"The coast is clear." She muttered looking up at his long chiseled face. She noticed how high his cheekbones sat and how clear his black eyes were. He was a different kind of handsome, a timeless handsome. Sure, he wasn't the typical jock, thick muscled, rounded face kind of guy, but he was distinctive. There was something dark and intelligent that gave him a more interesting edge. That whole brooding thing he had going on was super adorable too. She shook her head, clearing her thoughts, she was on a mission. It would be accomplished.

"I don't understand why I'm doing this." Severus said in his lower, deep tone. She tried not to tune in again to those previous thoughts as his voice rumbled through her. That voice too, it was so addictive to listen to.

"Trust me, it'll be fun." She said, turning her head to the hallway. She pressed her index finger to her cherry lips to signal his silence as she dashed quietly along the stone floors of the castle. Her platform shoes making soft clicking noises as they hit the hard surface. He sighed and his shoulders slumped in his muggle, black blazer as he glided off after her.

They passed through one of the many doors in the castles and exited out to a courtyard. The air was crisp and slightly chilled outside as they walked past the walls of stone. Grass eventually skimmed their shoes as their feet crunched on fallen leaves from some of the barren trees. The sight of trees popped up more and more as they headed to the Forbidden Forest.

"Riley..." he whispered in a hushed tone, "Riley!" he said again, his voice slightly increased in volume. The second time had the desired effect, but not for long. She whipped her head back towards him as she had sped up a few minutes prior. She grinned like some evil fairy, her locks of rich colored hair, swirling around her head with the outside breeze. She extended her hand to him, which he begrudging took. Suddenly, he felt himself being tugged and twirled and his vision swayed. It gave him the impression of being squeezed through a tiny tube. He still felt the grip of Riley's hand on his as they swirled around repeatedly. It dawned on him abruptly that they were appariting away from the school. He stumbled abruptly as his feet hit the ground in front of him. He heard the girl's voice next to him as he attempted to un-pop his ears. She was laughing quite hysterically, slapping her knee, freeing his hand from hers.

"What a rush!" She exclaimed, catching her breath. "We did it!"

He stared at her as if she had grown three heads. "Where are we?"

"Come see!" she said to his growing irritation. His body was stiff and his fists were by his sides in frustration.

"Just tell me!" He grumbled, his eyes flashing daggers. He was tired of playing this guessing game with her. He looked around and saw a nothing but a grassy field and chain link fence. Confusion crawled up on to his face when he saw her walk to the fence and pull at the corner. The fence rolled on to itself like it was used to this sort of treatment. She had pulled back the fence so it was slightly larger than her frame when it hit him that she expected him to go through the fence. Grumbling to himself that this was the last time he'd ever allow himself to be pulled around, he climbed through the chain link fence, the cut metal snagging at his jeans. She quickly followed in pursuit, her eyes no longer nervous but filled with what looked like excitement. She walked up a grassy hill taking steps ahead of him and that's when he heard it. The music.

* * *

"We're going to see Led Zeppelin!" She cried in sheer delight. "I have all of their albums! Isn't this groovy?"

He didn't even have time to contemplate what groovy was as he gazed down over the hill. There were masses of bodies moving, shaking, talking, and singing. People of their age and older were gathered in a massive clump in front of a big black stage with speakers larger than the entertainers. The smell hit him next, smoke, stale alcohol, and something pungent crept up his nose. His face tightened in disgust, but as he turned to Riley, his face eased a bit. The light from the stage lit up her eyes and bathed her figure in a yellow glow. She appeared so angelic and beautiful in that light. Déjà vu struck him as he looked on at her. Lily had appeared the same way to him once before, before he mucked it all up. He always mucked everything up. He blinked his long lashes and took in the sight before him again. But she wasn't Lily, she was very different person than Lily. He could see that, but it didn't help that his mind still compared Riley to Lily. Suddenly, a melodious humming filled his larger ears and the figure into front of him began to sway. A dreamy expression swept over Riley's tanned face and her black eyelashes batted slowly. Almost rhythmically they moved as he watched the butterfly lashes cascade up and down.

"I love this song…" she said in a voice just above a whispering wind. All of a sudden, her face changed and she whipped her head around to him. "Let's go!"

He hesitantly took off after her. He was already here. He at least needed to make sure she didn't get mobbed by the crowd below.

They pushed their way through the crowd of hot and sweaty people. Shoulders bumped and elbows struck them as they moved through the gyrating bodies. Severus held back his feelings of claustrophobia and agoraphobia as his fingertips grazed a strangers arm. The girl he touched turned and smiled dopily when he noticed flowers strung throughout her hair. This was an alien and strange place he journeyed through. It felt like something in another universe. "Isn't this far out?" the girl shouted to him. He nodded nervously and quickly pushed through more people after Riley, at least that girl knew she was out somewhere. When he caught up to her finally, shuddering as he remembered the bodies he touched on his way there, he noted that they were close to the stage. He plugged his ears with his index fingers at the proximity of the sound. It almost the loudest thing he had ever heard and the squealing of the instrument the man held on stage rang in his ears. This was music, he thought? Riley seemed to be enjoying it. She had her hands up in the air and her body rocked from side to side in time with the notes of the song. He lowered his long fingers from his ears and stared at her in amazement. Her fingers danced in the air as her slender arms twirled above her and her shirt raised a good couple of inches with the movement, exposing her tanned stomach. It was flat like he imagined, not that he had imaged her stomach, had he? Her hips poked out above the waist of her jeans and he found his eyes trailing over every curve slowly, drinking it in. He watched as her ocean colored eyes drifted to the lead singer listening to each lyric and watching his bouncing curls on the stage. Severus grew strangely jealous with this action and horror filled his mind. He was interested in this girl. This would not do.

A song or two later, she handed him a random amber colored drink which he did not remember her having prior to that moment. He was thirsty despite the chilly air in the Scottish climate. He lifted the transparent cup to his pink lips and tilted it back into his mouth. He felt her eyes watching him as the liquid hit the back of throat. He sputtered, coughing into his hand. It was nothing like the butterbeer he had earlier in Hogsmeade. It was bitter, hopsy, and watery. It was awful.

"It's muggle beer." Riley said, still bouncing along to the music. How she had so much energy, he did not know. She drained her cup of the revolting liquid and materialized another one in her other hand. "It's good, right?"

Severus was not a fan of beer or its inebriating effects of its users. He liked to be in control of himself at all times. He had partaken in drinking libations before and still was never a fan. Riley didn't seem to mind as her head bopped back and forth to the music. Song played after song and he continued to watch her. It was still tantalizing to watch that small waist of hers rotate back and forth. He was picturing putting his hands on that tanned waist when she tapped him on the shoulder.

"Ready to go?" She said with a smile, calm and appearing worry-free. Her cheeks were rosy with drink and her blue eyes glittered like diamonds in the concert light. Her chestnut hair was windswept behind her small pixie ears and her shirt had resumed its previous location at the top of her jeans. He hid his disappointment that his show was over behind his patented mask and resumed his normal façade.

"I cannot wait to go."


	5. Chapter 5

A/N: Thanks for reading! Hope you enjoy this chapter! I did ;)

* * *

Chapter 5

A crack sounded and after a bit of swirling, Severus and Riley stood wobbly with their arms linked together. Riley's hand was wrapped around Severus' bicep when she gently squeezed it. Severus slowly unwrapped her fingers from his arm with lithe fingers and dropped her hand like a used tissue. Severus and Riley silently walked back into the castle. No emotion was claiming Severus' face and Riley appeared to be nothing but complacent and calm. Nothing was about the damp, cold halls that they entered. Tapestries hung on the walls from centuries prior, the eyes of the figures in the woven portrait and oil paintings shifting with the sound of the click of their shoes. Not a _living_ soul was insight as they quickened their pace along the stone floors. Out of the corner of his eye, he saw Riley life her hands up to her mouth and press her tanned fingers to her cherry lips. Her hands pressed deeply to her mouth like a person trying to keep a genie in the bottle. The crystal of her blue eyes twinkled like refracting light on cut glass. Severus had not seen her eyes yet from his side by side stride to see them pool with mischievous intentions. A tiny, muffled snort barely squeezed its way out between her laced fingers. Severus immediately switched his dark eyes over towards Riley, venom leaking into his eyes.

"Don't you dare." He said his voice barely above a whisper. Each word he said was staccato to emphasis each syllable and disdained dripped from each letter.

Giggles, tinkling like church bells, erupted like magma pouring from an ancient volcano. Riley stumbled in her platform shoes upon a dislodged stone in the floor and without removing her hands from her clenched mouth, stabilized herself. Severus' eyes were on fire now, his hands opening and closing by his slender sides. She was tipsy. Great, he thought. Not only did she drag him out of the castle this evening, but she was going to get them caught with her idiotic school girl giggling. The common rooms weren't close enough. Who knows what would pop out of that mouth next.

Severus was more than ready to end the evening when Riley's hand shot out and yanked his forearm. Another tiny tinkle of a laugh tried to escape her lips yet again. He was so startled by the abruptness of her gesture that he was not prepared to be catapulted into a partially opened doorway. This spontaneity thing was getting old fast. His eyes blinked their long lashes as they adjusted to the darkness of the room.

"Lumos!" Riley whispered, gently shutting the wooden door behind them, encasing them in the room. Her wooden wand flared to life at its tip and the room was permeated with light. He squinted his eyes yet again at the adjustment. Once his vision was focused, he could now see the walls and furniture that sat before him. The familiarity of the seating arrangement and posters lining the walls rand clear in his head. Muggle Studies, he thought. The elective was not one of his favorites, but it was needed in most wizarding careers as of late. He felt uneasiness settle into the pit of his stomach as he saw the girl grinning at him like an idiot. She hopped around the front of the classroom, looking this way and that. This was not worth his time. Entertaining the antics of a tipsy school girl was the last thing he wanted to do at this point in the night, he thought begrudgingly. He could just turn around and leave, but part of what she was up to tugged at his curiosity. Severus reminded himself thought that curiosity and stupidity could go hand in hand. He settled his eyes with a sigh back on the bouncing figure, listening to things clatter as she dug around the materials in the room.

"Ah ha!" She exclaimed and then remembered her place in the silent room and pressed her own index finger into her lips to silence herself. She giggled again, irritatingly so, as she whipped herself around. Standing in her concert attire, she held up a box shaped object in triumph and placed it on a stone table in front of her. She waved him over with her free hand as she opened the box. He grumbled to himself, crossing his blazer covered arms and strode over to her in his normal gliding pace.

"What did we break into this classroom for?" He rumbled in his natural baritone. She looked up at him from the stone table she was currently bent over and something passed in her blue eyes that he didn't recognize at the sound of his voice. She tucked the her chestnut locks that hung in her face behind her ear as she placed a long piece of plastic on a round moving object inside the mysterious box. He stared at the box. It was unfamiliar to him which did not sit well with him, since he prided himself on being comfortable with every situation. The box was wooden on the bottom with a plastic lid that sat open as a plastic, black object spun round and round. The long plastic object she set on the rotating piece of black plastic made the machine hum to life. As he was watching the rotation, Riley's tan fingers, soft and petite reached a dial of some sort and turned it to the right. A sudden sound came from the box, making Severus jump. Annoyance crept on to his face at his own gesture. He did not like tricks of any kind. Riley laughed into the palm of her left hand, but cut her own reaction short at the sight of his death glare. She swiftly turned around and deftly for someone who had been tipsy, transfigured a wooden stool into a brown leather couch. She gently, like a person handling a wild, hurt animal, took his arm and drew him down to the couch with her. He reluctantly followed her actions as he surprisingly heard as the hum from the machine turned into a melody. A familiar voice flowed with passion from the box in front of him. "Oh, oh, oh, you don't have to go…" It sung gently.

"It's a music maker." Severus muttered under his breath.

Riley lit up like fireworks in the sky and set her fingertips on his knee as she nodded at his observation. It was then he noticed how close he had been seated next to girl. His jean covered knee touched her jean covered knee. His bony hip was rested against her soft hourglass figure. His wider, masculine shoulder brushed against her trim, lean shoulder. Her finger tips had not left his knee but dangled dangerously on his leg. He felt the heat radiating from the pressure of her hand and suddenly he could not breathe.

"Perhaps, it's best we went to bed." He mumbled, eyes lifting from his knee to the blue glittering eyes that he now saw were seated inches from his face. He could study her in detail from this point. She was his opposite in each and every way. From her tanned skin with rosy cheeks, to the light blue of her eyes surrounded by a forest of heavy black lashes, to the button nose, and cherry, warm lips. She looked so warm even in the cold room. He felt so cold. Her gaze on him deepened, warmth seeped into his cheeks, flushing them pink. She had trapped him under that gaze. He felt like he was locked in place and wasn't even startled when the music hummed once again and changed its tempo. She had completely ignored his words and allowed her hand to drift up from his leg to his face. She settled her pleasantly heated fingers on his jaw line and traced his cheekbone with her fingertips. He should have pulled away at that point, not being used to human contact and never in such proximity, but he felt the tug towards her. His heart beat so loudly in his chest, he swore she could hear it, but she made no indication of noticing. She traced his bottom lip with her finger tips, the softness of them enveloping him. Her blue eyes were suddenly hungry like a shark. She settled her hand on his broad shoulder, which she gripped tightly as she moved her face towards him, closing any gap appearing between them. She was leaning over his lap; his heart was hammering in his chest. He felt the soft cushion of her breast against his clothed chest as she pressed tighter against him. His eyes rested on her cherry lips as she placed them on his. The alarms in his head died away as her mouth moved over his. He closed his eyes and tasted her lips. They even tasted like cherries. His arms lifted from the uselessness at his sides, and he wrapped his long arms around her back. He could feel her ribcage under his lengthy fingertips and the smooth fabric of her shirt. The warmth of her bewitched him and he reciprocated by kissing her back. She murmured happily in reply, her lips vibrating across his, and he intensified the kiss. He felt such a hunger for her, his hands trailed through those chestnut locks that he stared at so many times before. He pressed her head closer to her, so that her lips parted in bliss. She wriggled against him in pleasure and he suddenly felt very conscious of the tightness of his pants. He broke his lips away from hers and leaned back slowly, opening his eyes. He could feel the desire in every fiber of his being. Her eyes fluttered their dark lashes open due to the movement and he could see the desire in her eyes. It was too powerful, the hold she had on him. Her fingers lingered on his shoulder and swept up to his cheekbones again. She grazed her fingers into his black locks of dark hair that were silky between each finger.

"I've wanted to do that for a while now." She whispered her voice husky. A coldness suddenly ran over him like freezing bath water. She was nearly in his lap and he stared at her with frustration crossing his face. He dropped his hands at his sides and removed them from her slender waist. Questions popped into his mind, why would anyone want to do this with him? Lily Evans wouldn't even do this with him and she'd known him since they were children. The questions invaded his consciousness like a bombs going off in a war zone. The darkness crept into his eyes and his soul felt a sudden sadness. This wasn't real, he thought. It couldn't be. He could not feel such pleasure. He was a person incapable of feeling for anyone—except Lily. Lily, he thought in horror, as the image of her filled his mind.

Riley watched, her hands still entangled in his black, curtained hair as the expression on Severus' face changed from blissful peace to stark, white terror. She untangled her hand quickly and felt a soberness wash over her. She had pushed too far, she knew it. She knew she had to be gentle with him, like one would be with a wild creature. But she had gone too far and mucked it up. Crap, she uttered in her mind. She watched in unease as he gathered his long limbs and scooted her off him, quick as a whip. He stood up from the leather couch, looking at her a dark sadness, her eyes filled with what he believed was pity, but in her eyes it felt like disappointment. That look in her eyes sent him flying out the room, gliding through the doorway and away from her vision. Damn, she thought as she sat alone in the classroom on the now cold leather couch listening to the record's scratching ending sound echoing against the walls.


	6. Chapter 6

**Chapter 6**

Riley was in a deep funk for the rest of the week. She had tried to seek out Severus in the Great Hall, in the hallways, and she even hung around the dungeons to see if he'd pop out from the Slytherin common room at any time. Her actions went on with no avail and she felt just plain glum. She had hope that she'd see him in Potions at the end of the week, but it would still be a while until then. He was clearly avoiding her like some plague and it was all her fault. Sirius seemed to be quite interested in her change of mood as of late because he kept by her side in the Gryffindor common room. He didn't pry into her personality change but attempted to entertain her nonetheless. She had to admit he was putting in a good effort and he made her smile at times. He was no Severus though. She often pictured their kiss again and again in her head. How beautiful his jawline was, the curve of his cheekbone, the silk of his hair, the deepness of his eyes, and the coolness of his lips pressed hungrily into hers. None of it made sense though, she felt his yearning and she knew he felt hers. She had kissed other boys in the past before but this was nothing like she felt now. That spark, that electricity they had between them, or she hoped they had between them, she hoped it wasn't one sided.

"Let's go to the Great Hall for lunch!" Sirius said to her jovially, his handsome face bright with a smile. She had to hand it to Sirius, he didn't give up. "We'll all go together." He waved his hand at the rest of the group, gathering in the common area, heading towards the portrait. James, Remus, Lily Evans, and Peter Pettigrew all sauntered together in a friendly, animated conversation. Although Riley didn't quite feel like herself, she dusted off her short school skirt, and took the hand that Sirius offered to her. He was surprisingly strong as he lifted her off her knees to a standing position. Why couldn't she be more interested in Sirius? She pondered this, staring at his upturned lips and boyish good looks. He was one of the most handsome boys in the school and clearly he was interested in her. She knew from the minute he met her. He had been around as much as he could. And he didn't appear nearly as stubborn as Severus. But Severus was brilliant and intelligent and sexy as hell for someone who didn't wear much but the color black and always had ink stains on his hands. And that kiss, wow, what a kiss. Her lips still tingled at the thought. Sirius' hand still held hers as he lifted her off the ground, after she gently released it. There was no electricity though, no spark, no tingly feeling.

They walked together in sync as most of the group chattered happily away. Sirius was trying to engage her in a conversation about Quidditch, which did capture some of her attention due to the upcoming game against Slytherin this week. She caught bits and pieces of what he said and made sure to nod at the appropriate times. She eyed Peter Pettigrew as he walked next to James and Lily. She didn't like him very much and tried not to speak with him during in and out of group situations. There was something off about him that she couldn't place. Like a neediness or that slimy, used car dealer feel. Concealing a shudder, she switched her eyes to the back of Lily's head, the girl's hair flowing in crimson waves down her back. She glanced at her profiled face and stared at those almond-shaped green eyes. Such a pretty girl, Riley thought, James must be thrilled. James was ever the attentive boyfriend when Lily was around and Riley could see the joy she brought him. She was continuing her assessment of Lily and James' relationship when she stopped short in the entrance to the Great Hall. There at the Slytherin table sat Severus with two Slytherin boys at his sides. He sat half turned upon the wooden bench, black eyes searching for something. Even from her position, she could see that whatever he looked for, it was of importance. She waited for his eyes to sweep towards her as she watched his eyes glance around the room. Instead of stopping on her though as she thought his dark eyes might do, she noticed his eyes were trained on a particular spot in the crowded loud hall. She allowed her crystal blue eyes to follow his stare and wondered what on Earth would have his attention so captivated. Her eyes directed themselves until they reached the Gryffindor table. Perhaps he was looking for her, or maybe Potter, whom he seemed to dislike. She noticed this in previous interactions with Severus and James. He tensed up quite a bit around James and she still hadn't found out why. Then suddenly in the midst of her thoughts, her heart thumped to the bottom of her chest and her breath caught in an oh-so-not fun way. His eyes were fastened on wavy, red crimson locks. The prettiest red hair she'd ever seen. Lily Evans. He couldn't take his eyes off of Lily Evans. His eyes traced each of her steps and every movement she made. Riley felt a menacing sickness in her stomach. One she had never felt before. Jealousy. This was why he stopped kissing her. This was why he was avoiding her. Not because she scared him away but because he was a wounded creature—a creature in love with someone who didn't love him back.

"Hey, Riley? Are you okay?" Sirius said with concern filtering in his voice. He was placing his arm on her shoulder and turning her towards him. She looked up into his handsome English face, into his striking gray eyes, and plastered on the best smile she could manage.

"I'm great." She said, "Never been better." She tried to hide the bitterness in her voice as she allowed Sirius to guide her into the Great Hall.

"So this match against Slytherin, how are they as a team?"

Sirius threw a jovial grin at her and squeezed her shoulder gently, "Nothing you can't handle."

* * *

Riley stared at Lily throughout lunch and couldn't take her eyes off of her. A million questions filled her mind. She was with James, not Severus. Did she ever date Severus? Did she ever like him? Why did he like her? Besides her beauty and all that personality thing she had going on. Riley had also heard that she was a spectacularly gifted witch as well. She knew that was a draw for Severus since he couldn't stand to be in the presence of any person with low intelligence. Riley mentally kicked herself for allowing these thoughts to enter her brain. When had she become this person? This jealous, self loathing, demeaning person? She never let people get to her. She prided herself on her masculine ability to not be a girly girl. She tried to adjust her mindset. She'd just have to focus her efforts elsewhere. She wouldn't be a sappy, lovesick puppy crying about a boy liking someone else more. She was a catch. Someone would want her. But apparently not Severus. She shook this thought from her mind and turned her body to face Sirius who was chatting to Remus across the table. She'd focus her efforts somewhere else.

* * *

The whistle blew on the Quidditch pitch as the crowd roared in excitement. The stands were crowded and full of patrons from the school, making the wooden benches creak in the addition of bodies. Riley kicked off from the ground of the pitch with her hightop Converse black and white Chucks, which weren't regulation uniform shoes, but did she care? No. Not in the least, Riley was determined to be back to her carefree self and her carefree self wore hightops on the Quidditch field. She tilted her wooden broom handle up to the sky as her scarlet cape flew behind her. Her hair had been fastened into two small pigtails behind her ears to increase her visibility. She was not letting one of those quaffles through any goal hoops today. It was Slytherin versus Gryffindor, a big match, since the teams were rivals. She had received a lot of good luck wishes and don't eff it up, Rileys this morning. It was her premiere game, so she wasn't about to let anyone or anything get past her. Once in the sky with the rest of her teammates, she positioned herself at her post and set her black-rimmed eyes forward. It was a chilly day, but it didn't faze her in the least. She was looking forward to this and she was going to take all of her frustrations out on the opposing team. She sat high on her broom as James whipped around the pitch with a quick lap to ready himself as a chaser.

"Ready, Brannigan?" He tossed out to her amongst the shouts and cheers coming from below.

"Readier than ever." She tossed back, boasting merrily at the coming prospects of the game.

"You better be!" He laughed, and with that, he shot her a wink and sped off.

A second thrill of the whistle and the match began. The golden snitch had not been sighted as minutes ticked by on the clock. Riley waited patiently, her body movement's calm but her eyes wide open ready for any trace of red leather. She didn't have to wait much longer when the whizzing sound of quaffles sounded in her ears. She punted, she punched, and she slapped each passing piece of leather. She played her heart out, diving and ducking from throws coming from Slytherin players. It felt good to get her anger out on the unsuspecting quaffles. She unconsciously pictured a certain person or two when a ball flew towards her clutched fist.

"Another incredible save by Brannigan!" The match announcer cried as Riley dove for a quaffle and punt kicked it beyond her view. Riley smirked happily in recognition. There was nothing like pounding the crap out of something to make one feel much better. The score was 40 to 0 in favor of Gryffindor towards the end of the game. Her viewpoint of the game was great, even thought the weather had been chilly. It was clear skies as she watched from her post as James swooped up and down and headed towards the posts on the other side of pitch. Victory was called again as he sunk another quaffle into the Slytherin net.

"50 points to Gryffindor!" The announced hollered above the roars in the stands. The golden snitch hadn't been sighted yet as time ticked and the two seekers-one in green and the other in scarlet weaved around each other above the stadium. Odds were in their favor if only the snitch could be caught.

"Apparently, a seeker has heard the flutter of golden wings! Abney from Gryffindor has got the golden fever!" Riley turned her head to the right of the pitch with the rest of the crowd as everyone saw the tail end of scarlet robes. The Gryffindor seeker, Abney, took a sudden dive at a ridiculous speed. The Slytherin seeker, seeing this, immediately followed suit. Riley was watching the head to head battle when out of the corner of her eye, something flickered dark in the stands. She turned her neck and squinted her eyes, spotting a warmly dressed Severus Snape. He did not look her way from what she could see at her height in the air. His eyes were guided towards the fight for the snitch at the lower part of the pitch. She muttered to herself a line of curses that would make a mother blush as she stared down below. She was doing a pretty good job not thinking of that damn, handsome bat. Stupid, towering bat. Pain the ass bat. Robotic bat. She continued with her delightful nicknames under her breath, chuckling to herself, when something red popped up right before her eyes. She blinked and everything went black.


	7. Chapter 7

A/N: Thank you for the reviews, followers, and favorites so far! Enjoy ;)

* * *

Chapter 7

"Wingardium Leviosa." Severus muttered in a calm whisper. Under his robes, he had drawn out his wand and swished and flicked. The subtle movement went unnoticed by the students surrounding him in the stands. Their eyes were too focused upon the scene in front of them. Gasps and out cries had circulated throughout the audience as hundreds of wizards and witches watched Riley Brannigan, the new star keeper for Gryffindor, plummet rapidly towards the ground. They all had been watching the match below as Abney and the Slytherin seeker battled it out over the golden snitch. The scarlet and green robes had intertwined as they raced through the air below to grasp the golden ticket to the end of the game. With a triumph grin and fist pounded into the air, Abney held the golden ball in a sudden swoop with fans watching as he held up the fluttering golden wings. Cheers erupted right through the stadium. High fives were handed off and victory dances were jigged by patrons. All until catastrophe kicked in and fans pointed at the object approaching the Earth at an alarming rate. A rogue quaffle thrown by a Slytherin chaser was to blame as the student was thrown off her broom. Fans would later remark that it looked as if Brannigan was distracted by something down below when the quaffle collided with a loud smack to her face. Severus Snape would alone know the truth of the circumstances. If upon instinct, he mumbled the incantation and rotated his wrist, wand in hand. He only knew that he had to stop it. He had to stop Riley from falling. He had no idea where this action had come from within him, but a part of him, deep inside, was glad that he acted. The crowd all sat silently as they watched the slender slip of a girl being guided slowly towards the ground by some unseeing force. Of course they all knew it was magic, assuming it was some seasoned adult professor of sorts. No, no one could know of his actions because it would show that something in him cared for someone else. But his magic was strong, he thought confidently. He knew at the time of the charm that he couldn't guide her body but he could enchant her uniform to lower her to the ground and provide her at least an easier descent. She hit the grass with a slight thump. It was the best landing he could give her in these conditions, but it was better than nothing at all. Blades of grass flew up around her as her form settled on the Earth. It didn't take but seconds for some of their professors to dash over and check out the young woman who lay unconscious.

* * *

Riley lay unconscious as a young Poppy Pomfrey bustled about in her nurse's uniform attending to the prone figure's needs.

"How is our patient?" Albus Dumbledore asked, surrounded by the Gryffindor team and Sirius Black. The group popped out against the cozy looking, beige hospital wing in their scarlet uniforms. Sirius had worry written softly upon his face as he hung back behind the headmaster. Albus Dumbledore stood over the girl, stroking his long silvery beard, examining her extremities. Albus had not been very involved in Riley's time at Hogwarts so far but had shown interested in her coming to the school from America. A cultural delight, he had said at the time, perhaps she was someone with a little fire to warm our British hearts. His eyes had twinkled under his half-moon spectacles as he delivered this explanation of her late appearance to the school. Now, he stood above her hospital bed in more curiosity than concern, folding his hands before him.

"Could be worse, Albus. She suffered a mild concussion due to that blow with the quaffle. She'll heal up nicely in no time!" Poppy smiled congenially at the headmaster but then turned her head and frowned at the crowd that hovered at her patient's bedside. Moving her hands in a sweeping gesture, she escorted the Gryffindor team and Sirius Black to the door. "Out now, the patient needs to rest!"

Albus chuckled at Poppy's direct approach and sauntered off behind the team, "I am happy to hear that, Poppy. I look forward to our patient's recovery." And with that, the hospital wing doors gently shut close with a whoosh. Madam Pomfrey sighed and shook her head, heading back to work.

* * *

Severus glanced around the hospital wing door and gently opened the door with the slightest of creaks. The wing was dark and silent as he stepped in, leather boots quiet on the floor. His footsteps made the quietest of echoes against the stones as he walked to a certain hospital bed. All of the other hospital beds were thankfully unoccupied. Severus guessed it was too early in the school year for first years to be jinxing themselves yet. He glided closer and closer with his school robe behind him as he approached the prone Riley, laying loosely on the bed, a white sheet draped over her. He heard passing the Gryffindor table at supper that she was still in the Hospital wing with a concussion. Severus took in the information at the time, recalling his remedial medical knowledge. Being a stronger potions student, he knew that one must have some medical knowledge to survive in this world full of dunderheads. He recollected that these injuries were categorized as mild traumatic brain injuries that would not have permanent effects, but also jostled one's brain to some extent. He examined her outside appearance and noticed nothing odd except a little dirt marking her uniform. "Scourgify." He murmured, waving his wand under his school robe. Her clothes instantaneously appeared fresh and pressed as if they had been laundered.

He studied her up close, never wanting to show this much interest when people were around. Her face had a glow even though she was not conscious. It looked as if heat radiated from her cheeks. He often noted this due to the opposing skin tones they both had. His skin was pale though olive in shade, possibly with some Roman influence in his genetics. Hers had a slight undertone in pink shades, but with a golden overlay on top. It gave him the urge to touch that skin. That warm, revitalizing skin. It was soft like her hands and her lips. His mind drifted back to their kiss and how warm her mouth was against his cool lips. The insistence in his heart pushed him to stroke that skin, to feel it under his fingertips. His mind screamed in a contrasting view, telling him how idiotic he looked standing there hovering above this girl like a brooding third year. If any other Slytherin had seen him as he stood now… His heart won over and he swept his fingertips across her left cheek, feeling the warmth under his skin. It was like he remembered, but even better. He didn't understand that touching another could feel like this. His fingers took control of his cognition and threaded themselves through her chestnut locks of hair. Even tousled, they felt like satin. He examined the strands of hair in his hand and noticed a red sheen that reflected from the tresses. He had never noticed that sheen before. It was so brilliant now reflecting in the moonlight that crept in from the window panes.

"Severus?" A weak voice gasped out through dry lips.

Severus froze, his hand still stuck in her hair, hovering over her like some bandit. He processed the voice in his head and calculated his movements before rising up to his full height. Her eyes sleepily blinked as he removed his hand from her hair as stealthily as he could. He hoped she did not notice as he pulled his hand by his side, perhaps he had been quick enough. Her crystal eyes of blue peeked out behind the black web of lashes and gazed up at him to her left.

"Where am I?" She said in the quietest voice he had heard. It hadn't occurred to him that she would be thrown off by her surroundings as her head slowly moved from side to side.

"The hospital wing." He said, staring down at her confused expression.

"What happened?" She asked, pushing herself from her flat position in the bed with the palms of her hands. She rose into a semi-sitting point and then closed her eyes tightly, placing her head in her hands. "Wow, my head."

"You don't remember?" He asked her with a flat tone, folding his arms together against his chest.

She raised her head slowly from her sitting position and gently rested her head on her elevated knees, tilting her face so that her eyes were directed at Severus. "No, but it must have been one hell of a blow."

She examined his posture and considered how uncomfortable he looked. He appeared to be covering up some thoughts in head while plastering on an indifferent appearance.

"You were hit in the head with a quaffle."

"Man, I've been hit before, but that must have been some throw." She chuckled quietly, head rested on her knees, causing her body to quiver with laughter. He stared blatantly at her and could not comprehend how someone who just awoke from a concussion would be laughing about it as if it were nothing. "They've got a good chaser on their team. Good for them." Again he stared at her, not understanding her mood in the state that she was. She was enigmatic to him and it should have repelled him, but it drew him in even further. She definitely was not like the girls he was used to who blew over like a daffodil seed at any sign of unease. Disgusted with his own thoughts, he shook his head to discard them from his mind.

"What are you doing here, Severus?" Riley said with a raised eyebrow and an inquisitive look. She knew she was treading on faulty ground with her question but after seeing him gazing at Lily the other day, she really didn't care. A smirk tickled at lips, threatening to peer out, but she hid it the best she could. She watched as the cogs whirled away in his brain, he was taking his time to sort out an answer. She basked in his awkwardness, waiting patiently for the answer that she knew she had trapped him with. She was enjoying this way too much, she knew, but it was worth watching after the jealous introspection he had put her through. Severus did not physically squirm, but his eyes gleamed filled with thoughts.

He stood silently for a long time and could not come up with an answer that did not condemn him in some way. He could not allow these thoughts to slip out in his words, so in true-to-form fashion, he changed the subject.

"You missed potions." He said finally, "I had to work on the Volubilis potion without a lab partner."

Riley did not hold back her smirk any longer. It broke free to her lips and pulled at her cheeks. He glanced down at her in visible irritation. He hated that she could read him so well. She knew why it ailed him to admit interest to anyone or anything and that just plain pissed him off.

"You were worried." She said gently. He just stared at her again with irritation painted on his face, not moving anymore physically. She lifted her head and extended her hand out to grasp him by his elbow. He froze, his expression no longer irritated, but blank as she stroked her thumb along his clothed muscular arm. He waited to see what her fingers would do next, but she withdrew her hand after a sweet squeeze of his folded elbow and tucked it back on top of her knees. He was surprised that she did not continue further with her prodding of him. He tried to not allow the surprise slip on to his face, but it gleamed in his black eyes. She saw the gleam and smiled happily to herself thinking about how smart it was to not move on with what she craved to do. She still could find her opening. She just had to wait for the right moment.


	8. Chapter 8

**Chapter 8**

It had been a couple days and Riley was out of the hospital wing. Her recovery was quick and she was back to normal except for the occasional ringing in her ears, but other than that she was fine. She still was not exactly sure what to do about the whole Lily Evans and Severus thing, but something had transpired between Riley and Severus that she couldn't deny. She wasn't going to push again so quickly and she wasn't going to put all of her eggs in one basket. She went back to Quidditch and her classes, knowing that her NEWTs were coming up this year and she was dying to win that Quidditch Cup.

She had just walked into the dungeons when she saw Severus sitting at their potions lab table. It was like déjà vu as she sauntered in with her long legs. He was sitting over that book he always worked on with his black hair draped in his face. He sat tall but still stooped, scribbling away in the margins. He would have such great posture if he sat straighter, but he wouldn't be Severus without the constant curve of his body over a book. His cape trailed over his spine and his gray Hogwarts sweater fit snug against his chest. His green and silver tie tucked in the top of the sweater looked dashing around his neck. What she would do with that tie if she had that chance. Bad Riley, she thought. She needed to keep her thoughts and longings tucked away for now. It was so hard to suppress these ponderings when he was in such close proximity and growing closer with each step.

"Hey." Riley said reaching the table, lowering her potion book on the table and swinging her body onto the seat. She crossed her knee-high socked legs and adjusted her shortened gray school skirt before looking over. He sat up suddenly, his hair swinging around his cheeks from the movement. He closed his textbook with a snap and trained his eyes on her, after sweeping them in a second's glance at her crossed legs.

"What are you always writing about in that book?" She mused with a small smile upon her face. Severus' eyes glittered dangerously her way and she shut her mouth tightly. "Got it. No questions about the book." She took his silent signals carefully and had been starting to learn when to press and when to back off. She shivered slightly in the dungeon, folding her arms on top of each other in her gray matching sweater.

"You would be warmer if you did not wear such short skirts." He said concisely, turning his head as Professor Slughorn entered the classroom from his office in the back. Riley chuckled, she hadn't imagined his eyes on her legs earlier.

"And dress like a schoolmarm? No thank you." She said matter of factly, lifting her chin in stubbornness. Severus frowned and unclasped his cape at his neck and handed the long black piece of fabric to her. Her face turned curious as she retrieved the cape from his long hands, which she _accidently_ touched, brushing his fingertips with hers. She shivered from the energy she felt jolt from his hand to hers. She wondered if he felt it too, but his face appeared as if it were encased in stone. His appearance did not change, but sat with his normal expressionless stare. She took the cape and swung it around her shoulders, clasping it at her neck. It was very fortunate that she had forgotten to put on her cape when she left her dormitory. Now, she was filled his former warmth in the cape and the scents that reminded her of Severus. The cape smelt masculine and clean. She couldn't put her finger on the exact smell that enveloped her in the cape, but it was comforting and cozy. She sighed, a silent content sigh, so that he couldn't hear her and tucked away the pleasure on her face.

"Thanks, Severus. I forget how cold it is down here." He nodded briefly in reply and kept any emotion off his face. A chatter of voices came in from the hallway and Riley twisted her neck towards the door. Sirius Black and James Potter walked in the doorway and into the potions room, walking towards their table. Out of the corner of her eye she saw Severus' expressionless mask turn dark and cloudy as his eyes followed the two boys. Assuming it was due to the whole Lily Evans thing, she rolled her eyes and waved at Sirius who was currently waving at her. He wasn't so bad, she thought watching the change in Severus' demeanor. Sirius was kind to her and a very happy, cheerful guy. He was also pretty funny, she recalled, thinking of the way he joked with everyone in the Gryffindor Common room. She watched as he approached their table on Riley's side, sauntering toward her with his boyish grin slapped on his face. She could feel the tension radiating off of Severus as he tightened his fists under the table upon the other boy's approach. She could slightly understand the grudge Severus held for James being with Lily but why did Sirius draw these feelings out of him too?

"Hello, Miss Brannigan!" Sirius greeted in a cheeky tone, ignoring Severus entirely by leaning on the table in front of them. Sirius's posture allowed Riley to assess his wavy black hair, sparkling gray eyes, and boyish toned body as he stood in before them.

"Since you are new to Hogwarts, I have taken it upon myself to be your guide in all social aspects of our fair school." He said in a cocky tone that made Severus cringe even further. "There will be a ball held for the upper year students just before Christmas. I would be ever so enchanted if you attended the ball with me. I will give you some time to ponder over that thought, but I expect a positive response from you sometime soon!" With that, he bent over her hands formally and took her right hand in his. He pressed her hand to his lips gently. Riley sat on her chair with a quirked brow observing Sirius' version of charming behavior. She grew slightly tense as she felt Severus' glowering gaze following Sirius' actions. She almost could feel the anger spewing out his ears. Sirius gave a sweep of his hand and a dramatic bow and walked away as the other students in the class looked on at the spectacle. Riley sat quite speechless as she righted herself in her seat, facing Professor Slughorn as the professor began to prattle. She peeked over to Severus with her charcoal-rimmed shining blue eyes and saw he was beginning to collect himself. He appeared to be packing everything into an emotional suitcase in his brain. Hopefully, he wasn't saving it for later. Severus mumbled something under his breath, not noting her sideways gaze. She followed his black, deep eyes and saw the direction of his sight was trained on Sirius. A chunk of hair appeared to vanish from the back of Sirius' head and leave a buzzed spot in its place. Riley snorted with laughter at the effect it left and clamped her hands over her mouth to hold it in. Students rotated around in their seats to stare at the girl. Professor Slughorn stopped prattling and looked back at her to see what he had missed. Professor Slughorn always loved a good joke and hated when he missed them.

"Sorry, Professor." Riley sheepishly said, dropping her hands from her mouth to the table in front of her. Professor Slughorn nodded congenially at her and turned back, disappointed he missed the amusing situation—whatever it was, to the chalkboard he was using and continued his lecture. The other students turned around back to the board and Sirius gave her a lazy smile as he too turned around. Severus rotated his head slightly in her direction to judge her expression. She grinned at him and the corner of his lips turned barely upwards, one could say it was the ghost of a smile.

* * *

As they worked on their potion, both dropping ingredients carefully into the cauldron, Riley watched Severus. His concentration was focused on the potion and its contents. She watched as he calmly sliced into a sopophorous bean while she ground up a mixture of things in her mortar and pestle. As she ground up the items, she noticed the change in his mood and his being. He was in his element at the moment and perhaps his hexing helped him release some of that anger. She thought the hex was harmless, it may look bad at the moment but it was easily reversible. It wasn't the most positive use of magic, but they were constantly being warned by their professors of using any dark magic. Dark magic led to a dark side. Although a hair loss hex was a minuscule note in the dark arts, it still made her wonder about what other dark things he had used in the past. She shook the thought from her head and smiled at his calm appearance. She loved how his hair swung in his face when he worked over his ingredients. She had a strong desire to slip his black locks behind his ear with her fingers. His long black eyelashes were still as his concentration deepened. His neck was curved long to his smooth jawbone. She had a hard time keeping her eyes off of him. She was crushing big time.

"Are you going to that ball?" Riley asked quietly with peaked interest. She waited to see his reaction as she continued to use the pestle to crush the items in the stone mortar. He stopped his knife in his hand and raised his head, tucking his hair behind his ear. She squirmed mentally as she watched him do what she had been daydreaming about. The pause in his movements gave her false hope as she saw his mouth corners drop down into a grimace.

"Absolutely not." He muttered, "It's a ridiculous tradition."

She tried to suppress her feelings of disappointment. She knew he'd say no, of course she did, but deep down she was hoping he'd have a sudden change of heart and go with her.

"So I won't see you there, will I?" She said, trying once again to hint at the fact that she wanted him to go without being overly obvious. Riley noted that sometimes men had to have things spelt out to them.

"No, you will not."

"I guess I might take Sirius up on his offer then." She said plainly. She watched as Severus fought the disgust of that thought with his desire to hide all of his feelings from sight.

"I guess if you like pretentious, arrogant prats." He mumbled under his breath, but clear enough to reach Riley's ears. Riley hid her grin behind a fake cough knowing that she had hit a nerve.

"At least that prat wants to be in my company." She said obviously.

"What do you call what we're doing now?" He grumbled, going back to work on his bean. His hair swung back in his face, covering his face. Under a gap in his hair, she could see his irritation growing as he sliced his bean with vehemence. Each slice was like stabbing a voodoo doll with a pin. She was getting to him. She turned her head to conceal her twitching lips, she didn't want Sirius to lose anymore hair today.

* * *

a/n: Thank you, Vietnamese girl for your message. I translated it and was inspired to write even more today. Thank you for your kind words! Thank you for everyone who reads this story!


	9. Chapter 9

**Chapter 9**

Riley held her hand out to Sirius as she descended the stairs from the Gryffindor girls' dormitory into the common room. Her skirts rustled with each step under the black crinoline fabrics that held up the bottom of her mermaid tail-framed dress.

Sirius sucked in his breath as he took her hand in his, noticing her outfit, looking her up and down. Her short bob hair had been pressed into shiny ironed 1940's waves resembling the film actress Veronica Lake. Her dress was a deep crimson color that had a satin sheen. It clung to her from her strapless bust down to her knees and then swung out on the bottom like a tail. The neckline dipped down into a sweetheart scoop, annunciating certain assets. A short, simple silver necklace with a white stone dangled dangerously close to the said assets from her slender neck.

"Geez, Brannigan. You don't disappoint." Sirius said, eyeing her up and down with his jaw slack. She smiled at him with a wink and looked him over. He didn't look half bad himself in his black dress robes accompanied by a white bow tie and black vest. His wavy black hair was brushed until it shone and he stood proudly, ready to be admired.

"You look good yourself, Sirius." It was a genuine comment that came out of her mouth. He did look great, but she wished it was Severus escorting her in dress robes. She knew he'd look great in whatever he wore or didn't wear. She pressed a happy smile on her face and allowed Sirius to tuck her arm in his as they walked out of the portrait towards the ball.

* * *

Severus fought himself internally all day. He looked at himself in his dormitory mirror and shook his head at himself. All of this to see a girl dance with another boy. Technically, it would be two girls dancing with two other boys. He was used to torturing himself, so what else was new. He sighed at his reflection in his black vest, black bow tie, straight black trousers and straightened his lapels. Like it mattered, he scoffed. He turned away from the mirror, his robes trailing behind him as he exited the door and went downstairs.

When he entered the Great Hall, he noted the obvious changes. The long tables and benches had all been magically swept away and in its place was a glittering dance floor surrounded by circular small tables and a band on a stage where the professors normally sat for meals. The room was filling up slowly with people standing on the sides of the room as the band tuned their instruments in anticipation of kicking off the ball. Severus looked to his right and noticed Lily's flaming red hair next to an unruly mass of black hair. Lily took no notice of him as he stood and stared at her. She never looked at him anymore. Not ever. He should have given up by now, after all the humiliation, but they had a history and it was just—Lily. He turned his face into his favorite indifferent expression and sauntered deeper into the room. He would just have to keep being the casual observer from the sidelines.

Something caught his sight suddenly and he turned his eyes to the entrance and his breath caught in his throat. He suddenly regretted his decision to be the casual observer and not by Riley's side. All of his thoughts of Lily were suppressed to the back of his mind. Riley was the most gorgeous creature he had ever laid eyes upon. He thought her dancing at the concert was attractive, with her shirt that kept rising up past her navel, but this trumped that. She glided in with one foot in front of the other in careful movements in her form-fitting crimson dress. The satin sheen showed off and hugged each one of her curves as she slinked in. He pictured her wearing that dress doing what they did the night of the concert and he had to suck in a deep breath. The neckline alone would have made any warm blooded man weak in the knees. It dipped down to show off her décolletage which was tanned and smooth. He had never seen so much of her skin at once. Redness crept up his neck and his body warmed uncomfortably. Lily would never have worn something like that. Her girlish, pastel blue dress paled in comparison to the curve hugging, womanly gown Riley had on.

Severus finally ripped his gaze from his temptress and grimaced at the smug expression on Sirius' face. Sirius looked as if he had won the Quidditch cup with his arm wrapped around Riley's. He nodded and smiled at the stares they received, proudly showing off his prize. Severus almost retched in revulsion staring at Sirius' self important grin. What he wouldn't give to see Sirius fail, for him to lose for once in his life.

The music kicked off and the couples started to mill around the dance floor, finding a spot. The band started off with some lively numbers that were currently popular on the Wizarding Wireless Network and people jumped around in enthusiasm. During a break after a song or two, Riley turned to Sirius and whispered something into his ear. He nodded with a smile and watched as she rustled off to the band. Severus watched as she stood on tip toe to say something in the band leader's ear on the front stage. The band leader looked puzzled for a moment as he listened to the girl and finally smiled in recognition. He swept back his green hair and winked at the girl as she sauntered away, back to her date. He reached up to the microphone as Severus looked curiously on.

"This next song is a special request from a new and fabulous American acquaintance that has great taste in muggle music!"

Riley pulled Sirius by the hand to the dance floor and stood in the center of the floor waiting for the song to begin. Severus shook his head, only Riley would make friends with someone in the blink of an eye and already be the recipient of a special request. She was infuriating at times but persuasive too.

"S-A-T-U-R-D-A-Y! HEY! S-A-T-U-R-D-A-Y! HEY! We're gonna keep on dancing to the rock and roll on Saturday night, Saturday night…" The singer belted out, getting the crowd to jump and clap along with him. Severus scowled, he would never understand muggle music. He folded his arms and leaned back on to the wall, watching in his dark corner as Riley jumped around in that tight dress. Then again, if it made her move like that, he might be able to get used to it.

* * *

The music slowed down soon after and the non-couples retreated from the dance floor to the sides of the room. Couples paired off and wrapped arms around each other as they swayed in time to the music. Riley hadn't seen Severus in the hall and was having a great time dancing around but it would have been better if she could have seen her favorite scowling Slytherin. She danced from side to side with Sirius, her arms on his shoulders above her. She was not a fan of the slow songs, but she knew she had to put in some time to repay Sirius for being her date. His smile was wide and lazy as he swayed with her back and forth. Sirius' head dipped down and his wavy locks cascaded along side of his cheekbones. He gently pressed his lips to Riley's and lifted her up to him so that he could meet her. She was surprised by his strength as he held her up with his muscular arms. His kiss was sweet and innocent like a Gryffindor's kiss probably should be, not the intense passion-filled hunger of a Slytherin she had kissed before. It was very fairy tale prince-like, the kind you'd see in a movie. Riley was in the middle of dwelling upon this thought when something firm grasped her arm. Startled at the movement, she broke the kiss and opened her eyes upward thinking that Sirius had grabbed her. She saw a dreamy look vanish from his gray eyes and look of anger replace it. His eyes had been redirected behind him, behind her back. She whipped around in confusion in Sirius' still lingering arms, her long dress twirling silky at her sides. She looked up higher as she adjusted her vision and saw that she was staring into the dark eyes of a very serious Severus Snape. His hand had not been removed from her upper arm and his long, dexterous fingers completely encircled her bicep. He stared down at her, his black curtained hair draped around his face and she saw he had anger in his eyes. He did hold anger there but not for her. His normal calm face was twisted in irritation and he looked up from Riley to Sirius. Sirius stood fuming with one arm still wrapped around Riley. She felt as if she was in the middle of some demented tug of war game and no one was letting go.

"Let go, Snape." Sirius growled in an animal like way. She twisted her sight briefly to see the redness flare up Sirius' handsome face in a frenzy. His eyes had flared up to something dangerous compared to the calm prince-like characteristic they held previously. She threw her neck around again to see Severus' expression return to its calm mask, controlling the anger that raged beneath that veneer.

"Riley will tell me if she wants me to let go." He said, clear as a bell and delivered with a wickedness that she hadn't heard in his voice prior to now. It was almost a taunting tone that she was stunned to hear. She started to notice that people around them were now turning towards the scene that was developing beside them. She was beginning to be aware that James and Lily were also staring from their spot on the dance floor. She wondered what the other girl thought, what Lily thought about Severus fighting for Riley. Did Severus know Lily was watching the whole thing? He must have known. She was forever on his radar. But did he care anymore? Did he care that he was fighting for another girl and not his beloved Lily Evans? Color started to creep up her bare collarbone and en route of her neck at the stares they were getting. This was not the attention she liked to receive from others. She didn't appreciate being a possession that the two boys were fighting over. That feeling was soon replaced with dread as she watched Sirius snatch his wand from inside his black dress robes and point it directly at Severus who was still standing behind her.

"Let go now, you sniveling snake!" Sirius cried, his wand extended just above Riley's shoulder aimed at Severus. Severus reacted quickly and thrust Riley behind him with one arm and grabbed his wand with the other. They stepped back from each other with both wands stretched out, ready to do battle. The rage between both students sizzled in the hall as Riley stood behind Severus in horror, frozen from action. This is not what she wanted. This is not what she intended to do. She shook the shock from her mind and tugged on Severus' arm shielding her.

"No, Severus! Don't do this. You'll get expelled!" She tugged on his arm as much as she could in her tight dress, clinging on to him in some desperation to get him to stop. She had pushed him too hard again. Now, he was going to go off the deep end.

"Enough!" A loud, commanding voice proclaimed over the murmurs and shocked sounds in the hall. The hall went entirely silent, including the band. They set their instruments down and stared on at the panorama below them. Albus Dumbledore strode forward in brilliant purple robes that sparkled with each step and placed his arms out in between the two young men. They both looked at Dumbledore with stark white expressions and instantly lowered their wands. Dumbledore's countenance left nothing to be desired as the rare sight of ferocity crossed his face.

"You are both intelligent, bright men. This is not the behavior I would come to expect of you. I will not allow such a display in my hall." Dumbledore's voice was steady and true but was at a volume that did not allow any questions to be asked of his thoughts. Both boys mumbled their apologies to the headmaster, both sets of eyes still trained on each other, anger still in their blood, no longer boiling, more of a simmer. Severus took the momentary lapse of silence to turn on the heel of his black boot and glide out of the Great Hall. Riley looked back and forth between the two, now seeing James and Remus standing by Sirius' shoulders. They muttered something to him in both his ears as he shook himself off. Dumbledore left as fast as he came and ventured off with a swish of his royally purple robes. The band picked up their instruments on that cue and began playing a cheery tune. Students turned back to their dates and began dancing in time with the music in their elegant garb. Riley looked at Sirius who was now engaged in a heated conversation with James and looked back at Severus' trailing robes that were disappearing out the door. In a split second decision, she twirled her dress behind her in its crimson folds and dashed off after Severus as fast as her platforms would take her. Behind her, she heard Sirius finally note her absence and call after her, but it was too late, her crystal eyes were set on the final flap of black fabric.

"Severus! Severus!" She called, picking up her dress with both hands, allowing her feet to speed up with her knees. The rustle of crinolines under satin whooshed as she elongated her stride. It was times like this, she was glad she was a runner. He did not make any sign of stopping so she continued on. She had reached his back when she reached out and grabbed him by the arm like she had so many times before, dropping her dress. His movements ceased and he stood facing the direction he was headed. She yanked at his arm with some effort at his lanky form until he finally faced her. She took a deep breath, catching herself after her run down the hallway. She peered up at his face and saw his expression-less mask crumbling. "Oh…" she mumbled, reaching out to cup his jaw in her hand. Anger still lurked in the black eyes but tenderness slid in its shadows.

"Go back to him." Severus said in a cold bluntness. Riley looked at him with a bewildered expression of frustration and anger.

"I'm here with you, you git." She replied with an irritation that ran deep within her. "Stop that." He yanked his head back at her words in annoyance dropping her hand from his jaw, a cold look settling upon his face.

"Why are you so irritating?" He threw at her in a very temperamental tone.

"Why are YOU so irritating?" She threw back at him in a borderline growl. "You're the one grabbing me, fighting in the hall, and storming out, leaving me just to stand there!" She placed both of her hands on hips that were snuggly fit with red satin. Her cheeks turned pink in anger and her blue eyes flashed.

"You can't be with him!" Severus cried out in frustration. His face turned white at his own words and Riley stared at him so blatantly, she didn't try to hide it. Her eyes blinked rapidly at his words as she stood in silence.

"Why?" She said in surprise in a suddenly calm tone. His mouth shut into his indifferent line at her words and he drew within himself, refusing to speak and crossing his arms. "You can't shut down on me now, you damn robot! I have been so damn patient with you!" She shouted, changing her own emotions so abruptly at his facial features that she threw her body against him, pounding her fists into his muscular chest repeatedly. He caught her fists in his hands, easily engulfing them with their much larger size. He dipped his head down in a swift movement and caught her lips with his. He pressed against her with an appetite and opened his lips to hers. She tasted the honey of his lips and opened her lips against his, passion filling her body up. The repressed tension they had felt was as if they had waited for a fuse to set a bomb off. His hands still gripped her to him as she pressed as close as she could into him. Every touch, every movement of their lips burned and sparked with electricity. He continued to move his mouth against hers until he broke from her, his breaths coming out raggedly. His eyes were ravenous as she opened her eyes and gazed up at him. That fire in his eyes made her shudder with anticipation. He released his right hand from her and moved his left hand up her wrist, catching it and pulling her along with him down the hall. She followed him silently in a curious fashion, as he led her up several staircases eventually ending up on the seventh floor. Once upon the seventh floor, Severus held her by the wrist as he walked in front of a wall with a tapestry of Barnabas the Barmy on it. She remained silent and interested without asking any probing questions as he repeated his steps in the hallway three times, dragging her behind him, her dress trailing the floor. Suddenly, a door appeared in the stone wall across from the tapestry. Her eyebrows rose to her forehead as he headed for the door.

"What?" She mumbled, as he opened the wooden door and led her inside a vast and spacious room. There were mounds of items spread throughout the room, piles of random things on the floor in the back. There was so much to look at that Riley didn't know where to turn her head. Severus continued to hold on to her wrist and pulled her farther back into the room past several mounds until she spotted a leather couch, much like the one she had transfigured up in the Muggle Studies classroom. He sat her on the couch with a swoosh of dress and lowered himself down on to the other side.

"Where are we?" She whispered in awe. She looked around and saw cabinetry and gold items flickering in the light from the lit lanterns located on the walls. She saw books, so many books, stacked one on top of the other.

"A place where no one can bother us." He said.

"No one?" Riley said looking about, as she turned her head again, he slid his long fingered hand under her jaw and pulled her head toward his. He captured her lower lip between his two lips and drank her in. She was dizzy from his kisses and was well aware that his long beautiful hands were now trailing up and down her back. He took his hands on her back and pressed her against him tightly, forcefully pulling her into his lap. His kisses turned hungry as they caught her jaw and her ear lobe.

"Why are you so damn beautiful?" He muttered into her ear in his rich baritone voice. He nipped at her ear lobe making her gasp excitedly and then he laid kisses down her neck, arriving at her collarbone. "Don't make that noise again." He growled in her ear in a stern voice. His growl sent shivers down her spine, shuddering against him. She wrapped her hands in his hair, loving the satiny feel between her fingers. He was trying so hard not to ravish her that very minute as he slinked his hands up and down her torso. She started running her hands under his untucked shirt, feeling what she had hoped for, a nice smooth, lightly muscular stomach. Her hands were warm on his cool stomach and his cool hand was now creeping up towards her thigh making her gasp again in delight when he pulled back from her. He took her hands away from his stomach and adjusted her on his lap.

"We should probably slow down a bit." Severus mumbled huskily even though that was last thing he wanted to do. Riley pouted with her cherry red lips and he touched her bottom lip with his fingertip. "Don't do that."

"I am trying to be a gentleman." He said in another growl, pointing at her.

"You don't have to be a gentleman." Riley said with a wink, her fingers creeping up back to his stomach. He caught her fingers in his long fingered hands and stroked them with his thumbs. He pressed her hands to his lips and kissed them with a gentle peck. "I don't understand what you do to me." He said in staring at her under his dark eyelashes as if she had bewitched him with some nonverbal spell.

"I keep you on your toes." She said with a gentle and lazy smirk that lit up her face. Her blue eyes twinkled and her lips were slightly swollen from their kissing escapade. Her tanned face glowed in the candlelight. Her neck and shoulders were so slender unburdened by her normal school attire. Her chestnut locks were ruffled from his hands running through them. She was beautiful, he thought, so beautiful. And she chose him over Black. A triumphant, soothing feeling filled him up and he actually smiled.

"Yes, you do."


	10. Chapter 10

a/n: Thank you for adding me to your favorites, following my story and for all the reviews I have received. You rock.

* * *

 **Chapter 10**

It was growing closer and closer to Christmas as Riley ran her laps for the final Quidditch practice before the break. She needed a good run as she soared around the Quidditch pitch, her hair whipping behind her in a tight ponytail. It had been a frustrating day or two and she needed to burn off some steam. She pumped her arms back and forth and lengthened her stride. It was times like this she'd kill for a record player that you could take with you. She focused on her breaths flowing in and out of her body when she caught sight of an unruly mass of black hair. James had slowed down his pace ahead of her. She had been meaning to talk to him about the other night. She knew he was not quite happy with the outcome of her choosing Severus over his buddy. Sirius was a sweet guy most of the time—when he wasn't aiming a wand at the object of eyes' face. Sirius had been avoiding her like the plague, no longer hanging around the common room and not showing up at Quidditch practice like he used to. In class, she tried to talk to him but the time never seemed right. She didn't feel like she had to explain herself, but she wanted to end this year as friends and not fill a vault at Gringotts full of enemies. Maybe now that Severus paid more attention to her than Lily, there would be less tension in the air with everybody.

"James!" She called out as she neared him. She slowed into a jog and then walked her way towards him. The dark haired boy looked up from the water bottle he was opening and stared at her. His expression wasn't exactly thrilled but it wasn't completely disgusted. Riley took that as a good sign as she approached him.

"I wanted to talk to you about the other night." She said, taking a deep breath before hand.

"Listen, Riley—" James started, raising his hands up into a stop signal.

"No, you're going to hear me out." She said, placing her hands on her hips. Her stature was shorter but her body language and the quirk of her brow showed her determination. She was not going to back down so easily.

"Sirius and me—it's never going to work out romantically. We're destined to be friends. I need you to tell him that—that I will be his friend and we will be speaking to each other in the near future. I will not take no for an answer. You know me, do I ever take no as an answer?" Her hands and arms folded together in front of her, showing her finality in this decision. She waited for him as he gathered his thoughts.

"Well, Sirius is a bit heartbroken. You did a number on him." James said, shaking his head and pushing his glasses up the bridge of his nose.

"He's quite good looking, I'm sure he'll recover in no time. I'm sure there are plenty of girls ready to comfort him." Riley added with a smirk. James nodded in reply and took a sip of water out of the bottle before handing Riley another bottle. She could see from his face that he knew this would be true, regardless of how much he was disappointed in his friends not forming a relationship. Suddenly, he grimaced and took another sip with a pained appearance.

"But seriously, Snape?" He spat out, his repressed thoughts bubbling to the surface. A look of disgust crossed his face as he spoke Severus' last name.

"I know you don't like him for some reason, but you don't see him like I see him." She said confidently and with a now sweeter tone to her voice. Her face softened at the thought of Severus and her lips turned upwards.

"You're really into him, huh?" James said looking at her bemusedly. He studied her change in countenance through his smudged glasses. "I'd hate to tell you, Riley, but Snivellus practices dark magic."

"I wish you wouldn't call him names. What proof do you have of him doing such things? Have you seen him do these things in person? Have you ever caught him red handed? I'll be the first to admit that he'd not perfect. None of us are." She glared at him briefly before continuing on, "But you have to give him a chance."

"I heard things. Dark things are happening in Slytherin." James said quietly as if Salazar Slytherin would hear them from beyond the grave.

"Well, it's a good thing that he'll have a Gryffindor by his side then." Riley threw on her patented smirk and smacked James in the arm in a jesting manner. James shook his head and ran a hand through his messy hair.

"I'm trying to say be careful. Not that I approve." He said bluntly, "And I'll talk to Sirius."

"Thanks, James." She said, her face lighting up graciously. "I knew you'd come around!"

She grabbed her broom and handed him his as they placed their water bottles down on the bench. She hopped on and kicked her feet off the ground in a thrust up into the sky.

"Race ya!" She called out behind her.

* * *

"Hey you." Riley said, settling down next to Severus in the library. Most people had gone home for the holiday break and the castle had a very empty feel to it. The library was quieter than usual with no foot traffic twisting through the book shelves. Riley smiled as she sat next to Severus, crossing her legs in her plaid skirt. She chose to stay because her parents were going home to America for Christmas. She also didn't want to leave Severus by himself at the school. He was also choosing to stay at school for the holiday because he couldn't stand his parents and hated his life outside of school. Riley didn't understand why he disliked his parents so much when she loved hers, but she decided not to pry due his anger at even mentioning them.

Severus picked up his head from the large tome he was reading and turned his head to her as she sat next to him. He smiled the briefest of smiles, which he seemed to be doing more and more as of lately and closed the book. She quickly glanced over the title of the book he was reading when he leaned over the closed book and kissed her gently on the lips. She got instantly distracted and grabbed the front of his black turtleneck and pulled him towards her. His lips reached hers first and pressed them hard against his. Fireworks lit up inside her brain, shutting all thinking back into a little trunk in her mind. With his lips still together with hers, he swept the book out of his lap and grabbed her hands. He removed them from his shirt and held them in his hands as he pressed himself over her, laying her down on the library floor. He held her hands above her head as he lay on top of her, kissing her deeply. He flicked his tongue towards her lips and met his tongue with hers. She wriggled underneath him in pleasure as she kissed him back eagerly, loving the feeling of his weight upon her. His body was actually warm and he smelt masculine and clean. He let her hands go and wisped her chestnut hair from her ear. He nibbled at her earlobe and led a trail of kisses down her neck. She moaned gently into his ear, urging him to move forward with whatever he was planning to do with her, her hands roaming his back. She felt good against him, her breasts tight against her sweater, pushed against his chest. His hands grew restless and pulled themselves down towards her sweater's hemline. His long fingers crept under her hemline and clawed at her smooth stomach. Up and up his hands ventured until—

"Ahem…"

Severus lifted himself quickly off of Riley at the sound, pulling himself to his full height and into a standing position. He dusted himself off while looking into the eyes of annoyed older librarian. She tapped her foot in her black pumps and folded her arms in front of her as Riley got herself off of the floor, looking for once in her life, a little bashful. She was not expecting to get so enveloped in Severus from just one innocent kiss. They had a magnetism that pulled them together. A magnetism that kept stealing all of her attention. She licked her puffy, cherry lips and tugged her tight, red sweater down, so that it covered her stomach completely. There was so much tension between Severus and her. It would constantly build up each time she laid her blue eyes upon him and then something would pass in his black eyes making her lose complete control of herself. They totally had other things in common other than making out, but it was just so fun to do. She had never felt like this for anyone ever before. Just a look and she was all over him. Not to mention how he had been all over her too. She could cross her legs in her school skirt and he'd have that hunger in his eyes. They had been having very meaningful conversations as of late, but his intelligence was just an even bigger turn on. He could literally just read from a potions book and his voice alone would have her hand groping his knee under the table. Potions class had been hard to get through recently without trying to jump his bones. It was a good thing they were on vacation.

Severus reached back for her hand from his standing position facing the librarian. She placed her smaller hand in his as they mumbled apologizes to the older witch and dashed out of the library. Riley began to laugh as they reached the hallway from their nerve-wracking encounter, never being able to hold it back very well.

"Good job getting us in trouble, Severus." She remarked with laughter in her eyes, tugging on his hand.

"You're the one who can't your hands off of me." He said with sarcasm in voice.

"You can't keep your hands off me." She said with a lazy smirk, shooting a response back at him. She grinned like a shark as he pulled her around the corner of a hall and took her by her slender shoulders and pressed her up against a stone wall.

"You're right." He merely said as he held her against the wall and laid his lips over hers, capturing her bottom lip with his teeth. His hands repeated their pattern again, dancing up her stomach, under her sweater. He reached up caught her bra in his hand and she gasped. "I think we need to go somewhere else." He rumbled in her ear. She nodded and watched as he pushed himself away from her and the wall. She felt odd without the warmness of his body against her. He pulled out his wand from his jeans and tapped the top her head. A weird feeling, cold and wet, dripped over her like someone cracking an egg on top of her head. Her face looked puzzled but trusting at the same time.

"Disillusionment charm." He answered, seeing the question on her face.

"Mr. Snape, where are we going this time?" She said with humor in her voice. He leaned in, close to her ear and used the voice that he had recently realized made the Gryffindor girl shudder.

"You'll see." She shuddered on cue as his baritone voice vibrated within her and followed behind him.


	11. Chapter 11

**Chapter 11**

Riley followed Severus down from the first floor towards the dungeons below. The air grew colder as they walked deeper into the depths of the castle. It also grew dimmer as the light came from the glow of candles on the walls and not from windows. Riley remained silent out of curiosity and took the time to study the back of Severus' head. He did not look back once as he ventured on, when Severus made up his mind, he tended to not dwell. Now was the perfect time to study every inch of him without him glaring at her for staring too long. She smirked to herself at the thought and let her crystal blue eyes roam. His black hair hung just above his collar in inky dark strands above powerful, lean shoulders. His arms were long and lanky and she adored how tall he was. He pretty much towered over her at times and she found that incredibly hot. Even his back was hot, she'd love to see him with without a shirt on and let her hands explore all the muscles in his body. She was surprised that girls didn't regularly fawn over him. In her eyes, he was drop dead gorgeous and he was hers for now. With a mental high five to herself at that thought, she added a bit of a skip to her step.

They had passed maybe one student in the dungeons on the way down and Riley smiled to herself as they noticed Severus as he strode forth but not Riley. Never being under a disillusionment charm before, it was interesting to have the sensation that you were invisible. Riley shook her head, not really invisible, but more like a chameleon. She looked at her hand as she held it up to the wall they walked by and saw as her own hand blended in with the stone. Being a seventh year and from a home that was a mixture of muggle and magical ways this should have not surprised someone like her, but magic still fascinated her to the core. It was like the gift that kept on giving, she didn't think there wouldn't be one day in her life that she still wasn't surprised or shocked by something magical.

Severus walked to a stone wall and calmly stated in a firm voice, "Parseltongue." The stone wall swung aside and allowed Severus and Riley to view the Slytherin common room. Riley stood in awe at the wall as they were bathed in green light that glowed from the ceiling. Severus turned back, not feeling her presence as he walked inside and gave her a look that said, get inside, you dunderhead. Riley almost laughed at that look and dashed inside before the wall swung closed.

The Slytherin dungeons were deeply contrasting from Gryffindor's warm and cozy common room. The eerie glow of the green light above them touched everything one could see. She wondered about the source of the light as her eyes searched the ceiling to find any light fixtures. She shivered in her eyes' journey from the coldness of the room. Gryffindor was so warm with a large, roaring fire, but this fire in the room was small in size with cold stone surrounding it. There were couches that appeared somewhat cozy in their green and silver upholstery, but they also looked to Riley like the kind of couches that your grandmother only allows special company sit on. There were snakes on everything. They were carved in stone, on the wood of the chairs, on the green and silver carpets that lie on the stone floor. Somebody had a thing for their mascot that was for sure.

"Cozy." She mumbled to Severus with sarcasm dripping from her voice.

Severus ignored her comment and nodded to the single and lone male student sitting in a dark green armchair by the fire. The boy picked up his head from the book he read, nodded his head briefly and set his eyes back down to the page. A sense of relief washed over Riley and she released the breath she did not realize that she had been holding. She knew the boy couldn't see her but it eased her tension knowing that coming this far, he really couldn't see her. Severus paused for a moment allowing her to catch up with him towards the end of the room. Riley was sure if he could or could not see her, he knew her personality and that she tended to venture off and study things out of curiosity. It warmed her insides to think how well he knew her at this point. They had only been conscious of each other for a mere four months and she felt as if they had known each other for lifetimes. He still had a mysterious side to him that she was digging at, but she knew she'd get there eventually. The way they interacted, the little banter they had, was proof to Riley that they knew each other intellectually. Although she was a Gryffindor, brave of heart and daring, she was almost sorted into Ravenclaw, ready of mind and wit and learning. She had never mentioned that to anyone, not even Severus, but she was sure he sensed it. She recalled when Dumbledore placed the sorting hat on her head in his office upon her late arrival. The sorting hat was torn between the two houses, but found that her personality better suited the lion hearted. It made sense, because Severus needed the challenge of an intellectual mind, but the push of a gregarious person to come out of his solitary shell.

Riley followed Severus up a stone staircase towards the boys' dormitory, slowly taking the stairs one at a time, awaiting some terrible fate from a spell prohibiting her from the boys' rooms. When nothing happened to her, she kept climbing with puzzlement filling her face. Predicting the question that filled her mind, Severus turned towards her at the top of the stairs. He bent down from his lanky height and whispered to her.

"There are charms on the girls' dormitory, but not the boys'."

Severus smirked briefly at this and climbed the last step. They faced several dark green doors and he opened the one to the far right side. Riley entered the room and noted the two beds in the room. They were four poster antique beds made with rich dark wood and around them hung rich, green silk tapestries. At the foot of each bed was a heavy wooden trunk, which more than likely held their worldly possessions like hers did. The Slytherin crest hung from the stone walls, again with the giant snake plastered upon it. A green carpet lay on the floor, spreading some warmth in the room. A small fire crackled in the fireplace surrounded by a stone mantle. Dark wood bookcases stood between the beds, filled with numerous amounts of books. Silver lanterns twinkled from the ceilings and the lapping sound of water hit the windows.

Severus reached for his wand again in his jean pocket and tapped Riley gently upon her head. The odd wet and cold sensation of egg dripped over her again and she shook herself like a dog.

"That is the oddest sensation." She said finally free of the spell. She looked over at the other bed in the room and peeked behind the silk tapestry with the pluck of her fingers. No student lingered curiously behind the fabric as she peered in.

"Avery went home for the break." Severus said coolly as Riley popped her head from out of the tapestry. Riley nodded and her eyes rolled up towards the window as the lapping noise resounded in the room again. She looked at him with a silent question in her eyes and he nodded back.

"The lake is above parts of the dungeons. Hence the green glow."

"Ah, I just thought it was the evil seeping out of all of the Slytherins." She replied with a grin itching at her lips. Severus shook his head and repressed a smile as she started to trail around the room.

If Severus thought that his intensions of this time with Riley would go one way at first, he was sorely mistaken as she riffled through his possessions. She did not know when she would get an opportunity like this again to come through his room unguarded and be able to touch whatever she wanted without his opposition. She had caught him off guard at her interrogation, so time was of the essence to study her Snape. She flipped the latch on the front of his trunk and peered inside. Layers of black clothing lay upon each other with the occasional pair of jeans and some Hogwarts uniforms. Books lay in a heap on top of one another with varying titles, ranging from historical texts to the some Greek and Roman works of fiction. Not much else lay in the trunk, no food items like she suspected Gryffindor boys had stashed away. No records, or record players like she possessed lay in the trunk. It was pretty barren expect for school items and the necessities for living. No photographs, no posters, nothing materialistic. The most he had ever spent on an item clearly was books. It was comforting to note that there were no terrifying things in his possession. No human bodies, no skulls of defeated enemies, no poisons, no dark items. James was so wrong about Severus. He wasn't evil, just a boy who had been bullied. A warmness for Severus sunk deeply into her, she was happy that she had been right. Not that she had suspected anything. She knew he was good, except for when he was sneaking her into his bedroom. That kind of bad she was okay with.

Severus stood in the middle of the room surveying Riley's intrusion into his personal things with his arms folded and his face calm. He didn't mind like she thought he would as she peeked at each of his items. He was growing more and more fond of her with each day. He knew he'd never get her attention until she was done with her ponderings. He studied her as she dug around, pulling back the tapestry on his bed and settling down at the edge of it. Her head was bent over a book from his trunk, turning the pages with her gentle touch. Her chestnut locks framed her face with its blunt bob cut just under her chin. Her blue eyes twinkled as they raced over the words. She sat with her black knee-high socked legs crossed in her short golden plaid skirt that sat temptingly up her thigh. Her thighs were tanned like the rest of her skin that was exposed, leading him to wonder if she was tan everywhere else too. Her red sweater was tight against her chest with soft material snuggly fitting her from her wrists to her stomach. The neckline sat high up against her collarbone, making him imagine pulling the sweater off to reveal all underneath. A smile lazily found its way to her cherry red lips, still puffy from his rough kisses earlier.

He picked up his wand again from the bed and under his breath he muttered, "Accio…" And that was the last thing Riley heard as she closed his trunk by his bed. A record player suddenly appeared before her on the top of his trunk. It popped its lid open and the needle slowly set itself down on the humming machine. A record inside rotated round and round with the needle on top making a scratching sound fill the room. Severus flicked his wand at the door of the room with his long fingers and mumbled, "Silencio." Riley looked up at him from the carpet on the stone floor and waited intrigued for the music to play.

"Well, I stand up next to a mountain…" Jimi Hendrix's voice crooned out from the record player.

"I love this song." Riley said with a smile.

"I know. I got this from your dorm." Severus said plainly.

"How?" Riley said, struck from the realization of this. She thought of the distance that the record player had to travel and it struck her at once how powerful a wizard he really was. She instantly realized how good it was that Dumbledore had stopped Sirius and Severus from fighting it out at the ball the other night. Sirius might have left with a few of his extremities missing.

Severus stood up from his spot on the bed and reached his hand down to her, capturing her smaller fingers in his larger fingers, the electricity sizzling between them. He pulled her up to her full height and caught her lips with his, moving his mouth over hers. She tangled her hands in his silky hair and allowed him to guide her, blindly to the side of his bed. His lips still attached themselves to her as he drew back a side of the green tapestry and picked her up. He placed her on the bed with the hunger in his dark eyes laced with black lashes and drew back the tapestry, encasing her in his possession, so that no one or nothing could disturb what his teenage mind set to do.


	12. Chapter 12

a/n: This chapter took a lot longer than I expected. I wanted it to be as meaningful as possible for the relationship of the characters. I hope you enjoy ;).

* * *

 **Chapter 12**

Riley smiled languidly to herself as she laid her head upon Severus' bare chest. It was better than she had imagined. He was truly muscular everywhere from his legs to his back and it wasn't that overly brawny muscularity. His muscles were smooth and quite lean under all those clothes. She had taken her time to touch and stroke as many as she could. She hummed a familiar happy tune to herself as she stroked his chest with her fingertips, grazing his now cool skin. He pulled his head over to her and kissed her gently on the top of her head.

"Are you happy?" He asked her with that deep voice that vibrated in his chest under her ear.

She lifted herself up from his chest and rested her weight on her elbows next to him. She looked at him, her hair draped in her eyes. Pulling her locks back behind her ears, she grinned.

"Of course I am." She said, grinning like the village idiot. The silver sheets fell from her bare shoulders and pooled by her bare chest. She didn't bother covering herself up, she liked the way he stared at her with his dark, hungry black eyes.

"I didn't hurt you, did I?" He asked bashfully, tilting his head on the pillow. She imagined that she was his first from that tone of voice. She was too sheepish to admit that he was hers.

"Absolutely not." She told him, running her left hand through his black tresses of hair, in a comforting way. Her blue eyes twinkled down at him from her view above him, recalling the passionate splendor that had just occurred. His hands everywhere, her hands everywhere, his mouth everywhere, and her mouth everywhere. It was very playful and sweet at the same time. She got to touch anything she wanted without being swatted away and he got to take his time and tease her in a very Slytherin-like way.

"Just so you know, we will be doing that much more in the future." She said in a very matter of fact tone.

"I will not discourage any attempts to do so." He said with a smirk. "But next time, I will be in control, not you." He lifted his head up and captured her lips with his, pulling her down under the sheets again. She giggled like a little school girl as he kissed her from the neck down to her navel.

"Not the stomach, Severus! Anything but the stomach!" She laughed uncontrollably as he kissed her stomach relentlessly as she squirmed under him. He smiled as he watched tears stream from her eyes in merriment. Perhaps he could be happy in this lifetime. If his lifetime included her.

* * *

Riley was quite smitten as she changed the record on the record player at the foot of Severus' bed. She felt as if she could stay forever like this, in this state of happiness and warmth, even in this cold Slytherin bedroom. Severus had accio'ed other records at Riley's request which delighted her immensely when they arrived. Severus could not understand why a piece of plastic could bring such joy to a person's eyes as it did with Riley's. Her blue eyes twinkled in bliss as she lifted the lid slowly with a delicate touch and drew the needle up, careful to not scratch her beloved record. She removed the previous record and replaced it with a new one, careful to place the needle back and twisting a knob on the top. The machine once again whirred to life and the crackle of the speaker filled the room. She sighed contently as the notes on a guitar riffed out the next song.

"My life is bliss!" She cried, jumping from the floor and catapulting herself on the feathery down comforter on Severus' bed. She looked adorably cozy in his black button up shirt that was a couple sizes too large for her. She rolled around for a second in a heap of sheets and pillows and then sat up crisscrossed on his bed with her knees poking out from the shirt, exposing her tan legs. Severus sat up in bed, leaning his head back on the wooden headboard, a pillow tucked gently behind him. He looked content as well, smiling softly at her demeanor and the child-like way she mounted herself on his bed. His long black, silky hair sat untidily in strands around his head and a warmth graced his face. If only this was his morning every morning, he thought to himself.

"If all I need to do is find you music, then bliss is easy to find."

"Well, music and you." She said bluntly. Noting the frankness of her words and the abruptness of them, she actually blushed. She never revealed her feelings so quickly verbally. Sure, she was used to attention from males, but she never voiced her feelings about them to them very often. She never really enjoyed vulnerability. But with Severus now, she had a hard time holding things back.

Severus studied her frank expression and looked at her with attentive eyes, surprised at the added "you". He had never been someone's "you" before. And he would never imagine someone thinking of being with him as blissful. Although they had shared something in this bed intimately moments before, the words that left her mouth sounded surprisingly more intimate. Severus didn't know how to take her slip up so he simply pretended it didn't exist. It seemed too intimate at the moment. He smoothed the sheets in front of him with hands in what he hoped was a distracted action. The verbal knowledge that he held value in her eyes was a lot for someone who had just shared his bed for the first time.

Riley noted Severus' embarrassment at her words with a silent glance and watched as his hands tried to work out the feelings that his brain could not. As he smoothed the sheets, trying to smooth out his thoughts, a twinge of anxiety flashed in her mind. Perhaps he was afraid of her words because of his feelings for Lily. Did he still think of her? Even after all of this? Great, Riley thought sarcastically to herself. Riley was becoming mentally dramatic. Why couldn't she just be in the moment? Be happy for herself and Severus? Maybe he wasn't thinking this at all. But the question always nagged at her. She looked back and remembered the looks and the stares Severus had given the girl. If she could put those emotions she felt about this away, then bliss would truly be hers. She had to know. She had to know now. She was too invested.

"Do you still have feelings for Lily Evans?" Riley felt the words bubbling out before she could stop them and she slapped her hands over her mouth in a panic, hoping they could be gathered back up. Severus became rigid at the name, straight to the spine. He avoided her gaze, redness covering his face and creeping down his neck. Riley could have kicked herself, she really should have. She didn't want this time with him to be about someone else. But really she had to know, she couldn't let the figurative ghost lie between them. But she really didn't want to be that girl. That petty jealous girl that ruined her own—relationship? Is that what they were in now? But she needed to know. She had to know. She was putting a lot on the line here. Her heart, her badass reputation…

"I'm sorry, Severus. I know this isn't really what you want to talk about, but I need to know." The honesty in her voice and the sincere, insistent tone drew Severus' eyes up and lifted his head. She wasn't mocking him, she wasn't taunting him, she truly wanted to know. He could see it in those damn crystal blue all-telling eyes. Severus sighed, it was now or never. He hated revealing his inner true self.

"I did have feelings for her."

Riley's face unguardedly crumpled at that and she turned away, shocked at the emotion that overcame her. She knew this was coming, how could she not? Did she think her actions in this bed just erased any prior history? The words from his mouth were too much to bear. She had inklings but the confirmation had never occurred until now. She was not going to be that girl—the crier, the emotional one, the drama queen. Holy crap, she thought, she cared way more for him than she ever imagined.

Severus looked up in the silence of the situation, not hearing a reply or retort back that he had become accustomed to and saw with his dark eyes, her shielded face. Her face was twisted away from him so that he could not see her eyes. Immediately, without resignation at the sight of her pain, he removed his sheet from his waist and climbed over to her. He took hold of her slender shoulders with his large hands and turned her towards him, so that she faced him. His chiseled face studied her like a potion, deep and thoughtful, as her face swung to him. Her tanned, rosy face was hardened in a firm countenance with her cherry lips in a straight line. He had seen that look before. That was his look, the indifferent look. The detached mask that he used to keep others out. She had learned it from him. The only crack in her mask was the pooling of glittering liquid that slowly filled her eyes. She was even more gorgeous with tears in her eyes. Her black, thick lashes tried to blink back the tears as her face was pointed towards him. Severus' heart caught in his throat. He never cared about others this way. Just the way her eyes glittered stirred something deep within him. He took her chin in his large hand and wrapped her jaw with his lithe fingers, staring directly into her blue eyes with his much darker eyes.

"I did have feelings." He said as he stressed the "did" in his sentence with his low voice. His dark eyes lit up with something Riley hadn't seen before as he spoke. Something bright, something that made his eyes appear lighter than their normal shade.

"I did have feelings for her—but you." He struggled with the next words and cleared his throat gently, holding something back.

"You are ev—." Severus sucked in his breath, holding it tightly, realizing what he had almost said. Those damn sparkling eyes caused him to drop his guard. He dropped her chin from his hand and got up out the bed as quickly as he could, swinging his bare long legs to ground to figure out how to get out of the situation. Riley instantly knew the seriousness of the words that he almost uttered. The panic in his black eyes and the immediate need to escape was all that she needed to see that he meant what he was about to say. She couldn't believe it. She meant more to him than Lily, that girl he put on a pedestal. Maybe the emotions ran deeper than a physical nature where Riley was concerned.

Severus was picking up a shirt from the ground when Riley hoisted herself out of bed and grabbed his hand.

"I feel the same way." She said, pulling him to face her. His eyes locked on to her from the shirt he grabbed. He froze staring at her, with his black curtained hair draped in his face. A silent exchange traveled between the pathways of their eyes.

"I won't bring up Lily like this, ever again." She said with a firm confirmation and a nod of her head. "You are mine and I won't doubt that again." She pulled him down to her lower stance and met her lips with his as if to certify and seal her statement. He dropped the shirt from his hands and wrapped his arms around her in a solid embrace. His larger arms wrapped around her completely. An unspoken agreement was formed at that moment and no words were said, the silence was enough.


	13. Chapter 13

**Chapter 13**

The break was coming to a close, much to Riley and Severus' dismay. They had enjoyed being in each other's company. They spent a lot of time in Severus' room, listening to Riley's records and doing other, more intimate things. It was a time they treasured together, both knowing that it would soon be over and that roommates and housemates would soon be back. It would be harder and harder to find time to be alone. They tried not to dwell on those thoughts but thought more about being in the moment.

Riley played with Severus' black locks of hair during one of their last afternoons alone before the end of the break. She leaned against the wooden trunk in front of his bed as he leaned against her lap. His thin and slender frame tilted against her, putting a gentle pressure against her. His chest was bare and his legs were covered in dark denim jeans. His long arms were wrapped around her raised knees as he sat between her legs. His eyes were closed in a very peaceful, un-Severus-like way. He enjoyed the feeling of her fingers sliding through his hair. He never realized how wonderful it was to be touched. She was very loving and gentle with every touch upon his skin, it was comforting. His own mother had never even held him the way she did.

"Been in town, my baby, we just got to rock on. Yeah, yeah, yeah, darling, we just got to go home…" Riley sung to herself softly as the music played, almost as if she forgot he was in the room. He didn't often hear her sing, but when she did he tried to listen to her without disturbing her. It reminded him of watching some creature in the wild that was so beautiful, you'd do anything to not frighten it. She had a soothing voice that was not perfect, but he liked the slight imperfection. It was like an unpolished gem stone that could have shined brighter if refined, but the maker left it as was, raw and simple. He opened his eyes and saw that she tapped her bare foot in time with the music and rocked her head back and forth. He was learning to appreciate the little things. She was so enthralled with the music, it appeared that she didn't have a care in the world. He wished that he could lose himself in something like she did, when she lost herself in music. She seemed so at ease in her worn jean shorts and band tee.

The record eventually silenced itself and she bent down to kiss him on the head. He lifted his gaze up to her head behind him, exposing his long neck.

"Getting used to my music, huh?" she murmured with a dark humor in her voice. He recognized her teasing tone and blinked his long black eyelashes at her in feigned annoyance.

"It would not be so bad except for the singer's wailing voice and the screech of those muggle instruments." He hid a smile, knowing the reaction it would draw from her.

She shoved him off her lap as he laughed. She stood up with one hand on her hip and another pointed to the record player. Her eyebrows furrowed together in irritation and glared at him with her pretty blue eyes.

"Don't insult Led Zeppelin! It's like insulting my religion!" She rushed out in a blur of words.

Severus laughed in a deep chuckle and rolled on his stomach and grabbed her by her ankles. He pulled her gently, causing her to fall towards him, catching her off guard. He twisted his body with a quick motion and caught her in his arms in a heap.

"You are so easy to irritate!" He proclaimed with another chuckle and stared down at her in his lap and kissed her surprised expression away as he pressed his lips to hers. He picked up his discarded wand with his long fingers on the floor and flicked it towards her record player. The record flipped and started playing after the needle settled. He cradled her in his lap with his arms wrapped around her small figure. He kissed her deeply again, parting her lips. She eventually broke away from him and narrowed her crystal eyes at him.

"You irritate easily too." She growled, swiping her hand playfully at his face. He caught her hand in his and kissed her wrist.

"I am entirely painless to be with." He said simply, kissing her further up her forearm.

She looked at him, her expression slowly turning curious and full of ponderings. His dark eyes were focused on his pathway up her tanned arm.

"What are you planning to do at the end of the year?" She asked, her voice serious in tone. Up until now, they had never spoken of a future. She had preferred to live in the now. But the now had become serious as of late. The Daily Prophet had been reporting more and more attacks. There had been whispers of death eater recruitment in the school and the attacks on muggles and muggle borns that had grown at an alarming rate. She was sure Severus had heard the conversation being in Slytherin, but she had just grasped the ends of the gossip having just moved to Great Britain. Her housemates were convinced that any Slytherin was a potential death eater at this point. Riley wasn't as convinced. Her Slytherin was dark at times, perhaps having dabbled in something in the past, but he was no death eater. With a potential war brewing, she still wanted a future to look forward to and definitely with Severus.

"I hadn't given it too much thought." He mused, lifting his lips from her arm for a moment and then returning to his previous task.

"Seriously, Severus. You haven't thought about it? It's only a couple months away." She asked with a baffled expression on her face. He lifted his face again, annoyed at having to stop again. His dark eyes looked at her dead on.

"Of course, I've thought about it. I just want to get away from some of these thick idiots at the end of the year. But why can't we just enjoy the moment now?"

"We will. But I want to know what your plan is. I have a plan."

"You do?" He said, adjusting her body in his lap. His eyebrow lifted slightly in curiosity.

"Yes, it's good to have a plan. I'm going to get an academic apprenticeship in education here in Britain." She said plainly.

"You are? You already have it?" He asked.  
"No, but I'll get it because I'm their best candidate." She said with a ridiculous amount of Riley-like confidence.

"You want to teach?" His voice sounded surprised.

"Yes." Her tone of voice did not change from the plain and firm stance from before.

"But you have so much potential. Your grades are so high. You're a great Quidditch player. Wouldn't that seem irritating? Teaching a bunch of young dunderheads?"

"I think my students wouldn't become a bunch of dunderheads if I'm their professor. At least I can try. Teaching is a great way to give back and feel like you've accomplished something at the end of the day. What about you? Am _I_ in your future plans?" She stressed the last question as she stared at him.

"That's a ridiculous question." He avoided her eyes briefly.

"So?"

"I hadn't thought about it. But yes."

"Yes?"

"Yes, Riley. Of course I want you still in my life. What? Am I to ditch you like a bunch of rotten potatoes at the end of the year?" He said with sarcasm infecting his tone. She glared up at him, knowing he was on the borderline of too much emotional talk due to his sudden switch in demeanor.

"Good. I just needed to hear the words. It's not like you'd get rid of me anyways." She said stubbornly back to him. "Come here, you jerk." She mumbled, pulling him down by his head and kissing him full on the mouth. His eyebrows extended themselves up as she ended the conversation abruptly.

* * *

James had kept his promise when he returned back to school. Riley was sitting at the Great Hall for breakfast when James and Remus slid on the bench next to her. She was about to engage in greeting them when she sighted Sirius walking into the hall with his arm around a Hufflepuff girl. Clearly he was trying to show the school that he was all right with being left at the ball and that he had moved on. On one hand, Riley was surprised at the quick transition, but on the other hand she was grateful that his thoughts no longer lingered on her. As if he knew she was watching, he pecked the Hufflepuff giggling girl on the cheek before releasing her to her table. She bounced away with her blonde hair in a ponytail on top of her head. James looked at her knowingly and winked at her in a silent exchange. Riley mouthed back a quiet 'thank you' as Sirius approached the table.

Sirius looked taken aback as he came to the table, acting as if he was surprised to see her. Riley laughed in her head at this fake approach he used to cover up his discomfort. He was trying and she was proud that he tried so hard. This probably was not easy for Sirius, to admit defeat especially against Severus. To drive his "I'm okay" point home, he gently gave Riley a boyish pound on her arm. It was a little harder than Riley would have liked, but for the good of the group she rubbed her arm under the table and smoothed out a smile on her face.

"Hey Brannigan!" Sirius said with an exuberant amount of cheerfulness, which made him seem like a demented clown. Clearly, he wasn't completely over it. Riley smiled softer in realization, ready to make their interaction as easy as possible.

"Hey Sirius! Had a good break, I see?" She said in a jovial, boy-like tone, referring to the blonde Hufflepuff with the glance of her eyes. She was heavily playing up the 'one of the guys' attitude in order to merit some relief from this awkward encounter. Sirius, noting her tone, deflated the clown act slightly and looked a bit more comfortable on his seat across from her.

"Yeah, I did. This guy has been letting me stay at his place." He said in reference to James, nodding in his direction. His voice picked up a more friendly tone and Riley knew that the awkwardness was over for now.

"That's really cool of you, James. I know it's been hard with your family and all, Sirius." She said in a sympathetic voice. The Blacks were not a fan of their non-Slytherin son becoming closer allies with his fellow Gryffindor students and muggle borns alike.

She listened on to the conversation in front of her, but her eyes moved to a table or two behind her. She caught Severus staring at her conversational group, eyes filled with jealousy. Riley was sure that he'd rather be sitting with her instead of staring at her from across the room. Her blue eyes caught his black eyes and the black of his eyes turned lighter at the recognition of her gaze. No one seemed to notice the direction of their gazes as their eyes locked on the same path. She willed her eyes to say, 'only a few more months.' He nodded at her as if he read her mind or maybe he was thinking the same thing. She couldn't wait until they had some time together again. She turned back to the conversation in front of her, but with one eye on him. He engaged in the conversation at his table with one eye on her.

* * *

At the end of breakfast, Riley excused herself from the table and swung her legs around the bench. As she rose, she smiled to the others and then aimed her eyes forward, searching for a pair of black eyes. Those black eyes met hers and she watched as Severus nodded to the others at his table. She sauntered towards the door of the Great Hall and looked out the corner of her eye. Severus was a couple of strides behind her. She rounded the corner with a flap of her school cape and walked to an alcove nearby the hall. She stood, shielded by a wall when she heard a familiar determined stride. She popped out from behind the wall and grabbed a fistful of shirt, pulling the person to her.

A young, harried professor looked down at her as he was yanked behind a wall. He adjusted his glasses and his face turned beet red up to his blonde roots.

"Miss Brannigan! What-what are you doing? Hiding in an alcove? Snatching professors? I've heard all about the American ways of free love, but this is preposterous!" He said in an outpour of spurting. He looked more embarrassed than she did as he eyed her grip on his shirt. She gently released him and tried her best to appear innocent and bashful.

"I'm so sorry, Professor. It's was an accident, I assure you." She said quietly, using a soothing Marilyn Monroe-esque voice to calm him down. She patted the professor on the back and stepped out of the alcove.

"No harm done. Right, sir?" She said sweetly, blinking her dark eyelashes at him. He looked at her up and down and shook his head, the red receding from his face.

"No, I don't suppose so." He said as she adjusted her legs. She watched as his eyes followed her bare legs and he shook himself again.

"Thanks, Professor." She said with a girlish smile. She waved a small innocent wave as he walked off with a confused expression. As she watched the professor walk off, she turned her head back to the wall in front of her. A dark figure stood, emerging from the shadows of a corner with a smirk on his face. His black eyes glittered dangerously.

"Here, I thought you wanted me to follow you out. But I see you really were actually targeting poor Professor Verecundus." Severus said, humor humming in his words. "That poor man never had a chance."

"Hey, I was able to get out of trouble and not have any house points taken away. And from his face, I'm sure that's the most female attention he's ever received." Riley rolled her eyes at Severus and grabbed his green and silver tie in her hands.

"Should I call for help?" Severus said with a raised eyebrow. His dark hair was swinging in her face as she pulled his head towards hers.

"I've missed you." She murmured, pressing her smaller body into his larger frame. He captured her red lips with his and wrapped his arms under her school cloak.

"It's only been a day." He whispered close to her ear with a smile, his nose grazing her ear. He heard voices walking past them, students oblivious to their state of being. He trailed his long fingers to her chestnut hair and fingered the soft strands between his fingertips.

"That's long enough." She said, gently placing her lips over his, kissing his lower lip softly. Severus nodded as she kissed him and murmured with affirmation. A loud chime sounded in the hallway as the clock by the Great Hall struck upon the hour. She withdrew from his lips as she still leaned against him. She sighed looking up into his dark eyes surrounded by his dark, long lashes. He dipped down once more and kissed her deeply, leaving her dizzy as he pulled away. He wanted her to remember that she was his and no one else's.

"Meet me in the library later?" He asked her as she tried to secure her footing as he released her.

"I'll meet you before Quidditch practice." She said softly as he looked at her one last time and then ventured off to another part of the castle. She let out a breath that she didn't realize she held and watched him as he glided away. Severus Snape may be stubborn, sarcastic, and even cold at times, but man, he was a good kisser.

* * *

a/n: Thank you, readers, I appreciate you one and all! Thanks, Vietnamese girl, I haven't been able to thank you via private message like the others (love to my continuous reviewers!), but thank you for your heartfelt review! It warmed my heart reading it! Hope you all enjoyed this chapter! Xoxo!


	14. Chapter 14

**Chapter 14**

"Ugh, I've been invited to attend the Slug Club." Riley said holding up a piece of folded parchment as she and Severus left the Potions dungeons later that week. "Slughorn just handed me this."

"I have been gifted with the honor as well." Severus said with a tone dripping in sarcasm. Riley could see how Severus would loathe the club. It would entail lots of socialization, which of course was Severus' forte. Riley grimaced, although she was better at socializing than Severus, she hated the fakeness of being thrown in a situation where you forced to do—well, anything. Her career driven parents would be thrilled with the club's prospects of rubbing elbows with the note-worthy and famous so that she had plenty of contacts for the future. It just wasn't her thing, but at least Severus would be there. Perhaps they could spend the evening mocking the insolence of others.

"My parents would want me to go…" She muttered in obvious grievance, drawing a breath in. Severus' eyebrow rose and he peered over at her from the corner of his eye.

"You would do something you don't want to do?"

Riley rolled her blue eyes at him and at his evident dry-humored statement. She turned her head to view straight ahead and shrugged.

"It's for my parents, not for me. It's the least I can do for them, being away from them for so long."

"What do you your parents do?"

"My father is the head healer for St. Juliana's Southern Hospital for Magical Maladies in the US. My mother is a muggle history professor at a college."

Severus nodded at this and did not hesitate before speaking again.

"Career-driven parents. I understand the reason why you're considering the invitation."

Riley paused her current thoughts and whipped her head towards him.

"I swear you can read minds, Severus." Riley said with confirmation in her voice. He allowed a corner of his lip to lift into a smirk.

"If only I could. I would have figured you out by now." He said. He eyed her in a darkly humorous way, awaiting a reaction he knew he'd get. Riley's eyes glittered and she grinned like a jack-o'-lantern.

"Does that mean you find me mysterious?" She said, pressing her fingertips together in a steeple fashion like some evil villain.

"As mysterious as the dark side of the moon." he said, his black eyes lit up and moved in their trekked direction.

"Ah ha! You _are_ catching on to the muggle phrases I've been using!" She proclaimed with a slight jump in the air. Her chestnut hair swung at her chin and her eyes shone dangerously filled with mischief. Severus merely shook his head, causing the curtains of his silky hair to shake, and walked on. She was a bad influence, if bad included muggle phrases and occasionally humming rock tunes.

* * *

Severus arrived at the Fat Lady's portrait at approximately six fifty-five in the evening. He waited around for another three minutes while being glared at by incoming and outgoing Gryffindor students. By the time Riley popped herself out of the portrait, the Fat Lady was getting downright hostile with her throat clearing and muttering under her breath.

"Hey!" Riley said as she stood in front of him on the tips of her toes trying to level out her height to reach him. She planted a sweet kiss on his lips as she caught the sides of his thin face with her small hands. Forgetting where he was and intoxicated by her lips, he kissed her back deeply until a loud cough resounded off the nearby stone walls. Riley dropped her hands by her sides and Severus parted from her lips with a grunt of disappointment. He turned his body in his black blazer, white button up shirt, and black dress pants and glared with a perturbed expression at the Fat Lady. His sudden withering stare drew the Fat Lady back instantly further into her painted background, surprise crossing her face.

"Hey, Severus, hold back the withering professor stare for now." Riley said with a tug on his blazer labels and then she dropped her voice to a whisper, "You're the one who should consider education. That look would terrify first years. Remember, I need to get back in later."

Severus rotated his head after one last glare and held out his arm for Riley to take. Riley slid her arm through the nook that he had provided and rested her hand on his forearm. He looked her up and down briefly before he began to step away from the entrance.

"Aren't you a little cold?" He asked her with his eyebrow raised. Riley stood before him in a baby doll short, black strapped dress, leather jacket, and black, platform ankle boots. Her legs were elongated by the lack of fabric between her mid-thigh and calves. He looked down a second or two at the length of leg exposed and looked back at her blue, mischievous eyes.

"No, sir! I was going for a Debbie Harry thing. It's totally badass." She said confidently, shaking her teased bob. She stuck a hand underneath her locks of hair and jumbled them around to increase the volume of her hair. Severus looked puzzled at this movement and then glanced down at her legs. His hands itched at the chance to glide his fingers down the smooth tanned skin. Severus guessed that this again was some sort of muggle reference, like most of Riley's references.

He guided her away from the common room entrance without questioning her further. Severus couldn't understand how someone with at least one magical parent immersed themselves, as she did, so heavily into muggle culture. He was already receiving dirty looks from his fellow housemates when they thought he wasn't looking. Most of them assumed he was a pureblood, being sorted into Slytherin as they had, and he wasn't about to correct them. He had never spoken about this to Riley due to his prior predicament with Lily. That was a whole other subject for another time and place. He wasn't sure how she would view him after hearing that he had called his first love a mudblood. He knew that she had some idea of what may have transpired but he wasn't about to dirty what he had with her now. It was too precious to tamper. Plus, she was friends with many of the Gryffindor Quidditch team, including James Potter, she had to have some idea.

For now, he would just try to get her to tone down the muggle references around his housemates. It was more for her safety than anything. With all the muggle deaths happening in the outside world, the last thing he wanted to do was to point her out. His housemates knew full well that Riley was a half-blood. She never tried to hide it. They often thought of her humor as Americanisms, so it didn't bother them as much as muggle borns. Severus didn't want to push it with all the darkness enveloping Slytherin lately, especially with all the rumors of Lord Voldemort gathering forces. The last thing he wanted was for Riley to be targeted by their cruelties. Again and again the others came, asking him to buy into their game, but he determinedly thwarted their efforts thus far. He had gotten this far into the school year and had only a couple months to go until he graduated and could be away from the influence of others.

For now, he looked down at Riley who walked with him, her arm trustfully linked with his arm. He would enjoy an evening with his American, self-proclaimed badass, short dress and all. Merlin help the boys that looked her way tonight, she was all his.

The Fat Lady muttered under her breath as they walked away, peeking from behind her oil painted chair.

"Dirty Slytherin. Always trying to bully the good-hearted people of this castle."

Severus smirked as he turned his head slightly around to glare daggers at the Fat Lady, sending her scurrying once again.

* * *

Severus and Riley walked through Slughorn's open office door, seeing a bright light shining and hearing conversation flowing. Riley felt Severus tense beside her. His whole body had gone as rigid as if he were chiseled from stone. She should have known Lily Evans would be here. She had often heard Slughorn proclaim that Lily was one of the brightest girls that he had ever taught. She was in Severus and Riley's advanced potions class, but Riley recalled how they had completely avoided the Lily topic when she was around. Lily often sat at the front of the class with the other Gryffindor students and Riley and Severus sat at the back of the class where they weren't often disturbed. They both should have guessed that she would have been here. And there she was, flaming red hair and all.

Riley was friendly with the girl, being of the same house and being friends with James, Sirius, and Remus, but it was awkward now. Walking in on Severus' arm made it obvious that they were now together. She had no idea how it made the other girl feel. She didn't even know if Lily felt that way about Severus. For all Riley knew, she could have only had a friendship in mind with Severus for the rest of her life. She picked James overall. James seemed more like Lily's type anyway. Lily stood there innocently in her floral flowing, knee-length frock. Riley noted to herself that she would have to give the girl some suggestions in fashion later, that outfit made her look twelve-years-old. Riley mentally kicked herself, Lily never did anything to her, she shouldn't be thinking ill of her again. She was trying to change that thinking. As they grew closer in the room, it was clear who Lily was not really partial to. She avoided Severus' eyes completely and looked directly at Riley making it suddenly very uncomfortable to be linked together by their arms.

"Hi Riley." Lily said sweetly with a gentle wave. Riley let a silent whoosh of breath she didn't know she was holding out and then returned the exchange in a similar manner. She felt Severus was still as stiff as a board next to her. She would need to ask him later why he thought Lily was mad at him and clearly not with Riley. Riley did ditch Sirius and yet she was being greeted and Severus was not. It drew up the curiosity in Riley more than she could bear. She looked at the expression on Severus' face to see what she could find and saw he had placed his indifferent mask over his true feelings. She sighed and shook her head, causing him to look down at her from his extended height.

Just then Slughorn turned with his massive ginger-colored mustache facing them. His face lit up with recognition and delight at the sight of them. He clapped his rounded hands together in a thrilled motion.

"Ah! Miss Brannigan and Mr. Snape! So glad to see you both! And together! Now that is interesting! I did not expect that! But what a joy! Such a lovely couple!"

Riley watched as Severus paled next to them. She knew that he had a certain respect for Slughorn, being his head of house, but this exuberant announcement of their situation was a bit much for him. Riley patted Severus' arm and released him from her grasp.

"Severus, could you grab me a drink?" She asked quietly to him, trying to provide him with an excuse to escape for a least a brief moment in time. Severus turned to her and nodded and she swore she saw the grateful glimmer of thanks in his eyes. Riley watched as her dark-clad Slytherin walked off to a corner of the room. Riley turned suddenly to Slughorn and flashed him her brightest smile. Slughorn immediately forgot Severus' sudden departure and clasped Riley on the back with his chubby hand.

"How wonderful that two of my Slug Club members are together!" He exclaimed in a joyful tone. Riley smiled and nodded as she saw more people saunter in through the entrance. She changed her expression quickly into a faux-serious one and waved Slughorn to her, closely, as if she were about to indulge him in some great secret. She looked around quietly for effect and then started in.

"Professor, Severus and I are trying to keep things quiet for now. You see, my parents are very old fashioned and if they get wind of me dating someone without introducing them to him, it might complicate things. You know how parents are…right?" She looked at him, trying to hook him into believing her. She knew Slughorn would do anything to seem like the cool adult, the one who'd side with the teenagers. She waited for the cogs to turn in his head when his eyes suddenly lit up. She'd do anything to make Severus more comfortable in this situation. It was enough that Lily was standing only a few feet away. She knew Severus was a private person and she knew she would have to work on him over time, but she didn't want to label this relationship right then and there. Lily's green eyes watched as Riley spoke with Slughorn, she knew she was watching.

"Oh! I understand! A modern day Romeo and Juliet!" He cried, clapping his hands together again, but remembering her words, hushed his voice. "How romantic!" He whispered, chuckling. Riley nodded along to appease the older gentleman and patted him gently upon his padded arm.

Severus approached them both with two beverages in his hands. He handed one to Riley and gently leaned by her ear.

"I thought a little mead might help us get through the party." He whispered and Riley smiled at him, thinking about how much he did not enjoy inebriation, but how he was desperate to get through this evening. Riley took the glass from Severus and softly clicked it with his after catching his eye. Slughorn watched the interaction with interest and chuckled to himself before walking toward his newly arrived guests.

"Do I want to know what you told him?" Severus asked plainly, taking a sip of his drink, his hands wrapped around the glass.

"I appealed to his romantic side." She said in calm voice, "We shouldn't hear anything from him again tonight."

Severus raised his brow and nodded his head, assured by her words and looked around the room. The room was decorated from floor to ceiling. One would never imagine that this spectacle was Slughorn's office. The walls had been draped with green and silver fabrics, representing Slughorn's house colors. Glass, sparkling chandeliers hung from the ceiling, a suited pianist sat in the corner of the room with a wooden grand baby piano playing soft, lulling tunes. House elves walked about with silver trays of food extended upward so that human hands could grab a bite as they sauntered about. People gathered in and conversed, making the room louder and less personal. Riley was grateful for this because this meant less interaction with Lily as the room became crowded.

Severus and Riley hung by each other's sides as the room filled in. Neither one of them really wanted to interact with other party goers. They eventually worked their way into a corner and sipped their mead quietly.

"Well, this is thrilling." Severus said looking around at the people before him.

"It's a regular hootenanny." She mumbled. Severus turned to her with a confused expression plastered on his face.

"A hoote-what?" He asked blankly. She waved a hand at him, disregarding her use of vocabulary. It was like she spoke another language sometimes. Eventually he'd get used it, right? Maybe he should invest in an American-slang dictionary. He was admiring the length of her leg as they sat together when they heard old Sluggy approach them loudly. They heard his voice before they saw him, pushing through the crowd with a buttoned –up mustard colored suit.

"This was just the girl I was telling you about, Alder. This is Riley Brannigan, the best Gryffindor keeper I've ever seen." Horace bragged loudly, boasting in a loud voice tinged with mead. He waved his arm dramatically at Riley, whose blue eyes grew wide, causing her to stand up straight after seeing the person Slughorn had been speaking to. Before her was Alder Rowan, the captain of the Tutshill Tornados. The twenty-something-year-old man who stood before her was muscular, rugged, and handsome. He had shaggy blonde hair and hazel eyes that glowed with excitement. Instead of Quidditch robes that were his usually team colors of light and dark blue; he wore a gray pinstriped suit. He held out a massive hand for her to shake, which she took, slightly star struck. Horace looked between the two people with joviality as he clasped his hands upon his belly. Severus stood a bit straighter too as he stood tall behind Riley.

Alder looked directly at Riley and seemed not to notice the looming presence of Severus behind her. He looked like he was pondering upon something as he stroked his chin, arms folded.

"Riley Brannigan?" He started with a Scottish brogue. "That name sounds familiar…" He said with a thoughtful expression. Severus and Riley both felt surprise at his words. His face suddenly lit up in recollection and his eyes grew bright.

"Did you once play for that American team, the Hickory Skyes?" Alder poured out all at once in an eager tone. Severus looked at Riley with curiosity and confusion as she shrugged gently. "Ah! You are! You're that Riley Brannigan! You substituted for the Skyes' keeper last summer! I remember! You killed it, lass! Youngest player in the US league!"

Riley looked slightly embarrassed and humbled all at the same time. Severus waited for her to correct the man and say that he must have her mistaken for someone else, but she made no such declaration. She merely looked down at her feet while smiling softly, pink creeping up her cheeks. Severus looked at her in sudden surprise by her reaction, his eyes widening. She had never mentioned playing anything but school Quidditch before—she never mentioned anything even remotely close to this.

"It was just a summer." She said quietly, shuffling her feet in her ankle boots. That statement was enough to solidify Alder's comment.

"I have to grab Brandt!" The player said, slapping Slughorn on the back in a very masculine style as if they were on the pitch together and dashed off to grab his teammate.

"Is there something you failed to mention?" Severus said with a dark humor in his throat. He relished the shyness he saw in her, it was not like her to shy away from anything. Clearly, she was a pretty good player and didn't intend to make a big deal out of it. It made Severus curious as to why she wouldn't say something to him if she was so accomplished. Riley's blue eyes glanced up at Severus with a sheepish shrug in her leather jacket. He knew they would have a more private conversation about this later. Severus was a Quidditch fan although he did not outwardly show it much. This was something he would want to know. Severus' gaze flickered to his professor. Slughorn eyed her like a roasted pig on a Viking's spit. The excitement in his eyes was unbearable to look at so Riley kept her eyes down. Her stock was increasing at the minute in under her professor's gaze.

The teammates reappeared and the second player's eyes lit up with recognition at the sight of her face. He stood slightly shorter than his colleague but muscular and strong in stature. He had longer brown hair tied up with behind his neck and dark brown eyes with a killer smile. He stuck his index finger and pointed in her direction as he spoke.

"It is you! I heard about that match against the South Shore Conch! You saved ten goals in thirty minutes! They couldn't throw the ball at you fast enough!" Brandt exclaimed with his hands depicting different keeper catches. "Someone very good at a young age! You need to think about being scouted after Hogwarts!" Brandy said, brown eyes on her, shaking his finger in emphasis of his words. Alder nodded in agreement.

Riley glanced up occasionally behind her black eyelashes, embarrassed by all the praise that she was receiving. All the while, Severus stood back and listened as the players recalled the different situations that they had heard about. He was surprised at the enthusiasm in which they spoke of her even though they clearly had never seen her play before. The word of mouth of her skill must have traveled well in the Quidditch circles. She had never once led on to the fact that she was a big deal in Quidditch—she did tackle the tryouts with a lot of ferocity, but she was confident, but she wasn't big headed. Did she possibly think that she was a normal player? Clearly she wasn't, as the players continued to praise her. Severus was surprised that she had mentioned that she wanted to go into teaching earlier. It seems as if she would have a much brighter future in sports.

"Well, well…" Slughorn said in jolly voice, his cheeks red from drink. "It seems we have quite the player on our hands, Severus!" Slughorn turned to Severus and grinned up at him like they shared a secret. Someone was going to have to give the professor some water soon to delude his system of mead. Severus looked down at the professor with his dark eyes and a smirk found its way to his face.

"Quite." He said quietly, glancing over at Riley with a determined look.

* * *

The players and Slughorn eventually sauntered off being distracted by the other fans and discussions. Riley was dreading the exact look Severus gave her as he lead her back into the corner of the room so they could have a private conversation. He looked very intimating at the moment with his hands tucked behind him and his very straight stature, raising him to his full elevated stance. His deep black eyes captured her with their gaze, searching her face to study her reactions. She felt like she was under the reign of the Spanish Inquisition. She slid herself on a silver stool, minding her short dress and crossing her legs. She folded her hands in her lap and awaited the questions she knew he'd ask. She was clearly trapped and would now face the proverbial firing squad.

"Why would you want to _teach_ when you clearly have a future in Quidditch?" Severus started with a very plain tone that showed his very true feelings about her situation.

"Teaching is very rewarding, Severus." Riley stated with a matter of fact tone.

"As rewarding as a fruitful Quidditch career? I wouldn't think so." He said with his eyebrow tilted up.

"I'm not as good as they say. They were clearly exaggerating." She said slightly deflated.

He looked at her with a very annoyed expression. She may be good at reading him and others but she was trying to lessen herself. Her body language looked defeated and it drove him crazy not knowing why she didn't want to own these accomplishments. No one would have spoken like the young men had if they were exaggerating.

"Come on, Riley. You and I both know that they were not exaggerating. Clearly you have a gift." He said simply, his words complimentary in nature.

"Severus, let's just drop this." She said suddenly with irritation seeping into her words. He stood silently at her tone and looked at her intensely trying to figure out her immediate change. Apparently she had a temper that he didn't know about. They never actually fought, they usually argued in jest, but her tone had a dangerous edge to it. He paused his thinking before he spoke again.

"Why do you want to let this go?" He asked softer in tone, trying to calm her. He draped his hand on her knee to assure her that his sincerity was true. She shook her head on the stool and ran a hand through her chestnut hair.

"I'd have to leave." She mumbled so that he had to strain to hear over the party noise.

"What?" He asked in confusion.

"I'd have to leave YOU." She said loudly in anger, the words tumbling out in force. Severus took a step back at her tone and withdrew his hand from her knee in a jolt like he had burned by fire. She got up suddenly from the stool and walked away from him towards the drink table leaving him to stand by himself. As he watched her go, he noticed no eyes in their direction. No one seemed to notice their confrontation over the tinkling of the piano. Severus stood thinking and looking at her figure as she grabbed another drink. He had never been invested in something so deep before. Anything he would do now with or without her would now affect them both.

He watched as she tipped back a mouthful of mead to her lips. Drinking would definitely not make this situation any better. It could have also been the reason for her heightened emotions and displaced anger. He left his cup of mead, barely touched on the high top table in front of him. Drinking never suited him and he thought it never would as he stared at the discarded cup. Severus stood silently and made a decision at that moment to leave. The Severus before Riley would have left by himself, but the post-Riley Severus made irritating decisions to care for someone else. He watched as his long legged creature tipped the cup of mead to her cherry lips, eyes sparkling with something suppressed. He couldn't bear that he upset her. He started to think that he was becoming quite sentimental. That was irritating as well. What was more irritating though was the pain in her crystal blue eyes and the conflict that resided there.

He pushed away from the table and walked slowly towards her, taking long strides in his black pants. As he approached her, he gently plucked the cup of mead out of her hand and set it on the table behind her. Then Severus did something very un-Severus-like against his better judgment. But he would do anything to wipe away that pain he caused her in her eyes. He dipped his head down from his grand height and his black curtained hair shifted forward. He closed his eyes with his fluttering black eyelashes and kissed her softly right there in middle of the room. He didn't think about the other people in the room or what they thought, he only thought of her. She tasted of honeyed mead-sweet and crisp. She pressed back into his lips, rising lightly upon her toes. His heart swelled when she met his kiss, she wasn't going to stay mad.

He gently broke off the innocent kiss, sweeping her chestnut locks behind her ear with the flexible stroke of his fingers. She leaned into his touch like a kitten yearning to be touched. Her blue eyes stared into his black eyes and he took her arm and looped it through his. Without another glance back, they left the room, arm in arm, not caring about the others at the party.

Lily Evans looked upon the departing figures as they left in disbelief. James had told her that Severus and Riley were together but it was another to thing to experience it with a front row seat. As his former oldest friend, she was surprised by this sudden change in his personality. Could someone ever really change Severus Snape?

* * *

Thanks for reading- Katie Scarlette :)


	15. Chapter 15

**Chapter 15**

Severus did not bring up their conversation from the party again. He let the air clear and the topic die for now. He had thought about what she had said before walking away from him. He thought about how she said that leaving him was the reason why she didn't pursue Quidditch further. He found that very exasperating and shocking at the same time. He wanted the best for her and knew she'd thrive out on the pitch as longer as she didn't get injured, but at the same time he was shocked that she'd give that up for him. He knew that she said he was hers but her actions spoke even more than her words. He had never had anyone, anyone, think of him as much as she did. His whole life had been an independent, solitary existence except for the brief interruption of a certain red headed girl. He knew that Lily had cared for him as a friend, but Riley cared even more than he could fathom a person could care. He thought this attention, this affection, was something of fairy tales. Sometimes he thought it was too much for him to bear, a person so wrapped up in his own solitary confinement, but then she would just look at him—just look—and he knew everything was all right. Was this what love felt like? The moment he thought of the word, he immediately shook it from his mind and redirected his thoughts. That was too much introspection, more than he could take. He shook himself of these thoughts and ambled down the hall with Riley by his side.

"Apparently, you bring out the crazy in me." Riley said in a satiric nature with a glance from the corner of her sparkling eyes. "I never lost my—well, you know…never in public before."

Severus glanced back at her briefly before looking back at their path to the Gryffindor dormitory. He walked silently and elegantly by her side. She wasn't sure if he was deep in thought or unsure of what to say or perhaps he was just being his hushed Slytherin self.

"Did you notice how Lily talked to me? She wouldn't even look at you. I thought that was weird." Riley said carefully, still looking out of the edge of her eye. She waited for his reaction as they sauntered down the completely empty halls of the castle.

"Why do you think that is?" She asked quietly.

"I called her a mudblood." He said, unwavering with a deadpanned voice. He waited silently for her reaction as they walked together. It was better now than never. Perhaps he just wanted to clear up anything else that might lie between them. The words came out of him without any hesitation. He needed to tell her before anyone else did.

She was silent as well for a moment as she strode beside him. He awaited the explosion, the eruption of emotions, the outcry of anger, but she said nothing. He knew what those words did to people. It felt like minutes later, but it was, in reality, seconds later when her voice gave life to the empty hallways.

"What did she do to make you say that?" She asked plainly. He stopped his steps, stunned at her words. There was no anger, no rage at his obvious insensitive remark, just a question. She turned around as his steps ceased and she faced him straight on. A curiosity settled in her eyes. Her face was interested in his reply and he looked at that rosy-cheeked, tanned, cherry lipped girl and thought her could kiss her once again.

"You're not mad?" He asked incredulously. His face was blanched and his black eyes were wide in disbelief.

"Well, clearly you said it out of anger. It's not the nicest word…" She paused for a moment, "But I know you. That sounds like you were probably right to be upset. If you were that upset." Riley looked at him like she was surprised that he was surprised with her. He was an open book to her. She could read him page by page. None of those pages however, said cruel without reason.

"Words are just words. I've seen your actions and your actions show that you are a good person." She said, looking him deep into his eyes.

Severus pulled her close at that and kissed her deeply and thoroughly. His hands tangled themselves in her chestnut locks, pressing his face to hers. He backed her up into a nearby stone wall and leaned against her with his taller figure covering hers. She could feel how grateful he was through his black pants as he pressed his body against her. He continued to move his lips over hers in a gentle and hungry manner. Just the thought that someone would not judge him so quickly at a very stupid mistake in a very low point of his life, when others had held him by it for years, was overwhelming. He had never thought anyone would ever understand him the way she did.

"Thank you." He said softly and breathlessly, gently separating his lips from hers, holding her face between his hands so that he could show her with his eyes how much her words meant to him.

"Don't thank me for knowing you. You are a good person. I see it in you. I lo—" She slammed her mouth shut at the last word and clammed up suddenly. She almost said the one word she knew that was too early to say. She surprised herself with that little blunder. She had gotten too caught up in the moment. It was like her brain had shut off for a second and then swiftly flipped back on. He didn't seem to catch her slip up as he stood, holding her face between his hands still looking thankful. It seemed he was still concentrating on the fact that she hadn't judged him for his prior misgivings.

"I am curious though—" She said, abruptly changing the subject to cover up her momentary lapse in speech. "Why did you call her a mudblood?"

Severus nodded at her question, knowing that he would have to elaborate further. He knew that the curiosity would get the better of her and she'd have to know the whole story. He released his hands from her warm, pinked cheeks and settled them by his sides in anticipation of his own aggrieved memories.

"Before Hogwarts, I was the one who told Lily that she was a witch. She was my only real friend growing up. Then we met them." He said the last word with venom in his voice as if the word had been poisoned. "Lily didn't like them at first but then they must have grown on her. Two years ago, I was outside after my O.W.L.s and then the group of them, they—" He paused, his face suddenly screwed up in pain. He took his slender frame and went over to a nearby bench and sat down. She followed him silently, waiting for him to continue his story. She sat closely down on the bench next to him and placed her hand in his hand. He looked down at her smaller hand in his larger hand and she squeezed his hand gently.

"I know this is hard, Severus, but it will help to tell someone. You don't need to carry the weight of the world on your shoulders. You are no Atlas." She said in a sweet, lulling manner, her light blue eyes urging him on. He hunched over in his normal sloped way and his black hair hung in his face.

"This bit is the hardest part." He said quietly, his face turning red with embarrassment. "They saw me and James held me upside down in the air in front of her. He tried to remove my pants and show off my underwear to everyone. Everyone sat there and laughed while I was being humiliated. I'll never forget it as long as I live. She tried to help me, but it was all too much. I didn't want to be helped by anyone in front of them. They picked on me for their own demented pleasure."

Severus allowed his dark hair to cover his face and hide the pain in his eyes. He was so embarrassed that someone had made him feel so small. And now Riley knew what a loser he was, which she was the complete opposite. She was a popular person, even if she mainly hung out with him. Her personality was magnanimous and personable. No wonder she got sorted into Gryffindor. He was the loner, the bat, the greasy git. He knew what people called him behind his back. How she could stand to be with him after that humiliating story, he didn't know.

Riley took her hand from his hand and tucked his dark hair away from his face and behind his ear. She stroked his head and looked at him lovingly.

"You had every right to be upset. The worst Lily got was being called a name. She wasn't humiliated in front of most of the school." She said sympathetically. She sat silent for a moment and then a thought of realization hit her.

"Shit." She hissed under her breath. Severus' head jerked up suddenly in shock of the curse that left her lips. "And here I was hanging around with them and even going with one of them to the ball." Riley said, rubbing her head in frustration. "Oh, Severus, I'm so sorry. I'm a jerk."

Severus looked at her in surprise, how was she apologizing now? After what he told her, she was apologizing to him. He thought he understood how she worked at times, but then she would pull things like this from mouth that threw him completely.

"Don't apologize, Riley. You didn't know." He paused looking at her dubiously. "How would you know? It's not like I'm an open book, spouting my thoughts out freely." He said, staring solemnly at her. "And Potter has calmed down a bit since he started dating Lily. I don't think she allows him to act like he did before." He said softly.

"I'll stop talking to them immediately." Riley said firmly with candor in her eyes.

"Don't be ridiculous, Riley. I'd never ask you to do that." Severus said with an equally firm tone. "You play Quidditch with Potter, are you never going to talk to him again on the pitch?"

Riley sighed and nodded, understanding his point.

"I could talk to them." She said determinedly, willing to help wherever she could.

"No." Severus said even firmer and clearly, "I don't want you to have to fix my problems for me."

Riley bit her bottom lip and nodded gently, at the tone of his voice.

"Alright. If that's what you want." She said, giving in, reaching for one of his long fingered hands.

Severus nodded in reply with a lightness to his eyes, grasping her hand in his tightly.

Further down the hall, unseen by their eyes, was a red headed girl in a floral frock. She stood quietly behind a wall hidden from the couple's view. She knew eavesdropping was wrong but she was curious after the kiss she had witnessed in Slughorn's office. He had told Riley everything—of course, from his side of the story, but everything. This surprised young Lily Evans more than she imagined. Severus was finally happy with someone and it wasn't her. She was grateful for this because she had hoped he would move on with his life. She was still not very trusting of him and she was surprised how easily Riley reacted to the use of that foul word. But she was starting to see a change in Severus for the better and it was all because of that girl. Lily took one more glance in their direction and walked back to the party. Severus and Riley were lip locked when she left them.

* * *

a/n: Thanks for the reviews!


	16. Chapter 16

**Chapter 16**

Riley and Severus sat side by side in potions class a couple of weeks later listening to their Slug Club professor lecture. Classes had been uneventful since the return of Winter Break and the year slid closer to Spring. The outside air was warming up and students buzzed about upcoming exams and future visits to Hogsmeade. The twosome were together whenever the opportunity struck, meeting between classes and taking trips to the library. They also took the time to enjoy the silence of each other in class. Just the presence of the other being there was comforting and pleasant.

Severus heard a gentle ripping sound next to him as he listened to Professor Slughorn discuss the upcoming N.E.W.T.s. He heard another rip and tried to ignore the noise coming from Riley's direction as he took notes. It was his goal to receive an 'outstanding' in Potions and supposedly, it was Riley's goal too. He jotted as Slughorn prattled on about what potion they might be expected to brew. The professor listed the numerous possibilities and the levels of difficulty they ranged from.

Concentrating on Slughorn's information, Severus lifted his quill to pause his note taking. The ripping had silenced and he was unexpectedly distracted a moment later by the furious scratching of a quill next to him. He was surprised to hear her writing so rapidly when Slughorn had currently said nothing of note.

Severus peered out of the corner of his eye to see Riley's head bent over something. He assumed it was her notes for the class and had learned to expect odd behavior from her so he adjusted his eye sight forward to his babbling professor. Suddenly, he felt the pressure of something being pushed towards him and placed under his elbow. Severus looked down under his sweater-covered elbow and saw a small piece of parchment that had been hastily rolled up. He turned his head towards Riley who was innocently looking at him with her bright blue eyes. Her look was almost comical in nature with her eyes that wide and he knew instantly that she wasn't being innocent at all. He sighed at her and indulged her by picking up the little scroll.

For someone who was so intelligent, she didn't always concentrate very well. It was sometimes like being with a very large child who wanted to play all the time. Not that he minded half of the time, but the other half of him grew exhausted trying to keep up with her. Perhaps she played Quidditch just to expel some of that excess energy. She explained to him the other day that they were like the muggle story of the 'Tortoise and the Hare'. She was the Hare that wanted to always speed around and ended up using all of her energy and he was the tortoise that conserved his energy and took his time. He really didn't understand the analogy too much but he could see her being compared to a speedy creature that never slowed down until depleted. He didn't really care for being compared to a reptile though. He found himself to be the least reptilian of anyone he knew.

He unrolled the scroll reading it silently and impassively. Riley's bubbly script made it easy to read: 'Want to take a trip to Hogsmeade with me this weekend? Check yes or no'. The crystal eyes next to him blinked innocently until the snickering started. Riley smothered her laughter by clamping her red lips together as she watched Severus read her note silently with a now confused look on his face. He had no indication as to why this situation would strike her as funny. Why didn't she just ask him after class?

She loved watching the way he reacted to whatever she did. So many times she caught him off guard when no one else could. It delighted her beyond words to watch the confusion seep into his eyes. Hence, why she loved her muggle references, she loved stumping the sharp-minded Slytherin and laughing at her own jokes. She was sure it irritated him to some extent, but his irritation was adorable to her. It was an odd, demented sense of humor, but he cracked her up.

Riley turned to head forward towards her professor to calm herself down. But she watched out of the corner of her eye as Severus tried to understand why her eyes were suddenly filled with mirth. He always tried to figure out her weird jokes even though he knew he'd never get most of them. It was like she knew he couldn't help but ponder every odd thing she did. He picked up his quill and stared at the little boxes that she had provided for him under the yes and no. She giggled quietly to herself while her head was still facing the front of the class. As she peeked out of the corner of her eyes, he caught her glance and he glared at her. He casually looked around the room to see if anyone heard another one of her incessant muffled fragments of laughter. The next time they were in class together he thought he might consider casting a silencing charm on her.

She hushed any noise escaping from her mouth as she watched him, by again pressing her lips together. He returned his gaze back to the parchment and quickly checked the yes box with an additional quick scribble before rolling up the little beige scroll. He placed the tiny parchment in front of her without looking at her and focused his attention back to Slughorn's lecture.

Curious as always, Riley unrolled the scroll in her hand and eagerly read the contents. She noted the yes that he had indicated but grinned from ear to ear at the scrolled message he wrote below: 'if you want to earn an outstanding in potions you should pay attention or you'll end up like Potter and Black'.

Riley looked ahead at James and Sirius who were sitting together at the front of the room. They were pushing a Zonko's dungbomb back and forth to each other like it was a time bomb, ready to explode. Both of them looked excited and nervous at the same time as they pushed it with their quills towards each other. It rolled across the table, dangerously close to edge while no one else paid them any attention. All eyes were directed at the professor as he listed ingredients of note. Riley bit her lip at the image in front of her, trying to hold back the laughter within her.

She peered over at Severus to gage his reaction. Leave it to a Slytherin to have a keen eye out for the disaster. Oh, he was going to love it if those two got in trouble. No one else thought he had such vivid sense of humor, but she knew better. Surely enough, the dungbomb slid off the lab table as James attempted to pass it to Sirius. It had gotten way too close to the edge and their cockiness got the better of them. Sirius' gray eyes widened as he attempted futilely to stop it from falling on the floor. He stretched out his palms while ducking under the table to save it. With a silent thud it fell to the floor and Sirius picked himself up from under the table and sat up board straight. The panic in his eyes was hilarious as the dungbomb penetrated the room with the foulest odor Riley had ever smelt.

Before the smell could further permeate their nostrils, Severus swiftly flicked his wand at himself and Riley encasing their heads with a bubble head charm. He turned his fish-bowl-like covered head and smirked at her, knowing he had proved his point. Riley rolled her black rimmed eyes at him and watched as the chaos filled the room.

* * *

Riley walked side by side with Severus into Hogsmeade that weekend. She looked around the small village on that warm morning, noticing that the snow from the tops of the thatched roofs was in the process of melting. There was a chill in the air despite the absence of snow on the ground so Riley had dressed fairly warm in a tight knit navy blue sweater and high rise bell bottom jeans. Severus glanced over at her with his black eyes, seeing that Riley had slipped on some rather large heart-shaped sunglasses with an American flag frame. She pushed them up her nose as she tilted her head back into the sunlight, capturing the rays on her skin. She seemed to be in her element when she was outdoors and the sun seemed to glow from her skin even after her exposure. Severus walked on, keeping his eyes focused on Dominic Maestro's shop. Severus had on his usual attire of a black blazer, white button up shirt and straight legged blue jeans. Riley liked his casual attire, she loved thinking of what she would do with those buttons later. She also often thought about grabbing him by those jacket lapels. To be honest, she had a hard time keeping her hands off of him.

Riley had been looking forward to Dominic Maestro's all week. Per her request, the Maestro had set aside some recently obtained muggle records from London for her to look through. The shop mostly sold instruments and other wizarding musical oddities, but this was the only place that Riley could add to her growing music collection near Hogwarts. They reached the building and heard the faint ding as they opened the shop's wooden door. It was quite small inside and cramped. It was much like following a strange musical maze in which you had to dodge various piles of musical instruments before you reached the Maestro himself. It was warm and welcoming though as a blast of balmy air hit them as they walked through the door frame. Riley slid her sunglasses to the top of her chestnut colored head and turned to Severus, who was shutting the door behind them. Severus stooped down as he past under a hanging magical tuba, careful not to hit his head on the large brass instrument.

"I've never set foot in this place before." Severus said quietly, looking around at the clutter with a raised brow. "But now I know why."

Riley, who was still watching him enter, gave Severus a look to hush him up. The last thing she wanted to do was piss off the sole provider of her musical provisions. She turned back to her maze-like path in front of her and jumped back at the sudden appearance of a bearded, average height wizard standing before her. His face was jolly in appearance and small round, golden-rimmed spectacles sat perched upon his nose. He adjusted his glasses and peered through at Riley with brown sharp eyes.

"Ah! Miss Brannigan! My fellow lover of the rock and roll!" The wizard exclaimed with an accented warm and smooth tone that sounded almost musical in nature.

Severus held back a smirk as Riley visibly jumped at the quick appearance of the man. Her face suddenly transformed into a brilliant smile, recognizing who the sound had come from. She reached out and hugged the man in front of her like he was a lost uncle. The man jovially patted her back before releasing her and peering behind her at Severus. Severus stood silently and slightly surprised at the friendly exchange.

"I'm back!" She announced, ignoring the curious look Maestro gave Severus, as she looked at the man with glittering blue eyes of anticipation. "Did you get in the Warren Zevon album? It has 'Werewolves of London' on it, right?" She asked like a child awaiting a gift on Christmas morning.

"Yes!" Maestro said excitedly, "I hope you don't mind, but I listened to it!"

"And?" Riley asked in anticipation.

"It was fabulous! I also took the liberty of getting you a copy of an album called, Van Halen. Apparently, they are becoming a pretty big deal. Something about how this Eddie Van Halen plays his guitar. It's supposed to be very different from anything we've heard before."

"I've heard of them! They did a write up about them in the LA Times! Eddie Van Halen is a great guitarist…" Riley said distantly and then looked back at Severus sheepishly, momentarily forgetting his presence. "Dominic Maestro, this is Severus Snape, Severus, this is Maestro."

Severus nodded to the older man in front of Riley and Maestro eyed Severus critically.

"You have a very special girl here, Severus." Maestro said, clasping Riley by her small shoulder. "A very smart and knowledgeable one, this one. If I were still in school, I would have scooped this one up in heartbeat!"

Maestro chuckled merrily to himself, shaking Riley along with him. Riley rolled her eyes at the older man and Severus shot the man a dirty look.

"I know special she is…" Severus mumbled to himself under his breath, glaring at the man. Severus unknowingly straightened himself up to his full height to appear more menacing and kept an eye on the man's hand on Riley's shoulder. Maestro ignored Severus and turned to the back of the shop where he wandered to a back tabletop. Riley followed Maestro as he guided her and handed her the records he had spoken about. They spoke again for a couple of minutes about each record and Riley smiled as she spoke some parting words. The man gave one squeeze of a hug to Riley and she turned waving goodbye to the shop owner. Seeing this, Severus approached them and gently laced his fingers between Riley's, pulling her swiftly from the shop.

"Thanks again, Maestro!" Riley called back as they softly shut the door behind them. "Where to next—"

Before she could utter another word, Severus caught her off guard by bending down to her height from his and bringing her face to his. He took her chin with his long fingers and tilted her head up. He laid his lips over hers and tenderly grasped her in the doorframe capturing her with his body. They were sheltered from prying eyes by the large overhang of the building and the shadow of the door frame. Severus' black locks of hair hung by her cheeks and she opened her blue eyes to see his black eyes opening in front of her. They parted their lips slowly and looked at each other thoughtfully, as if they were trying to capture the moment in time.

"You _are_ special." Severus said to her softly in his low baritone, brushing his thumb across her cheekbone. Riley smiled at him with her face aligned closely to his. She kissed his Roman nose gently at the tip and looked back into his eyes.

"So are you." She whispered to him, wrapping him in a warm hug. She draped her hands around his slender waist and rested her head on his chest, listening to his heart beat gently again his skin. Severus caressed her dark brown locks of hair as he kissed the top of her head.

"Let's go get lunch." He said softly, "We can actually sit together at the same table today."

He felt her lips rise into a grin against the white button up shirt he wore. She unwrapped her arms from around his waist with a final kiss on his cheek and stepped down from the door. She brought her sunglasses down from the top of her head and settled them gently on her button nose. She waited for him to follow and they walked down the trodden path, intermixing with the other students wandering around the village. Most of the other students did not notice them, focusing on their own adventures for the day.

"So how do you know the Maestro so well?" Severus asked with a playful tone. "Apparently, he thought he had no competition."

Riley swatted at him as they ventured down the path together, side by side once again.

"I've spent some of my previous Hogsmeade visits discussing muggle and magical music with him." Riley explained.

"Well, clearly he enjoys your _knowledge_ about the subject…" Severus teased in a very familiar dry tone.

"Severus…" Riley said in a good-humored warning. Her blue eyes flashed at him quickly before setting her sights on Three Broomsticks.

"Do you have something for older men that I should know about? First, Professor Verecundus, now, Dominic Maestro…" Severus taunted merrily in a low voice.

"That's it, Snape." Riley growled teasingly, taking her wand of her pocket and mumbling an incantation that silenced his mouth. Severus smirked out of the side of his mouth despite his lack of speech and walked along side her as if nothing bothered him. His amount of confidence irritated her. She knew he'd have to talk at some point. Then it wouldn't be so funny anymore.

"You're okay now, but wait until you have to order lunch…" She said evilly, slipping her wand back into her jean pocket.

They reached the wooden door to Three Broomsticks as Professor Slughorn stepped out. He wore dark green robes over his rounded stomach and tottled out with a fair haired Professor Verecundus behind him. Severus' eyebrows rose up at the sight of the younger professor and Riley gave him a look that was deadly in nature. Slughorn was oblivious to all of this as he greeted his two Slug Club members.

"Ah! Miss Brannigan and Mr. Snape! How lovely!" Slughorn cried in delight. "You know my two protégés, Professor Verecundus?" Slughorn said, facing the younger Professor suddenly, waving his chubby hands towards Riley and Severus.

"I do not know Mr. Snape, but I know Miss B-Brannigan." The younger professor stuttered out as he adjusted his largely framed glasses, his features growing rather pink when he saw Riley's face. Clearly, he had recalled when he had last seen her by the expression planted on his face.

Riley's face grew pink too as the professor looked at her and Severus. Severus noiselessly thanked Riley with his eyes for casting the silencing charm on him to save him from dying of laughter. She couldn't stop his eyes though from twinkling in merriment. Slughorn was oblivious to the awkwardness of their encounter as he turned to Severus and smiled genuinely at the boy.

"Lovely day for a Hogsmeade visit, isn't it?" The head of house asked Severus conversationally. Severus, being charmed into silence, nodded briefly, thankful he was only asked a yes-or-no question. After he answered, he peered over at Riley with a triumphant smirk. Riley crossly looked back at him waiting for her opportunity to strike.

"What are your plans for the rest of today?" Slughorn asked in a friendly tone, clapping Severus on the shoulder. Realization hit the young Slytherin and Severus looked over at Riley in panic, trying to figure out a way to not answer the question. Riley stood smugly with her arms folded over each other as she raised one of her dark eyebrows. Her face was no longer pink as she waved him on to answer the professor's question knowing full well how it was killing him to stand awkwardly not saying anything.

"Go on, Severus. Tell the professor our plans." She said calmly with her eyes glittering in his direction. Severus looked back and forth between Riley and Slughorn waiting for her to lift the charm.

"What's wrong with you, Severus? Cat got your tongue?" Slughorn asked, laughing and slapping Severus on the back. Professor Verecundus stood shyly in the background watching the exchange between Slughorn and Severus, avoiding eye contact with Riley. Severus eyed Riley again and she rolled her blue eyes at him, retrieving her wand stealthily from her pocket and whispering the counter-charm at him. Severus watched Riley and moved his lips as if they needed to be propelled to start.

"Not quite a cat, Professor." He grumbled, his eyes trained on the now smiling girl.


	17. Chapter 17

**Chapter 17**

Easter break came and went. Riley stayed once again at the castle with Severus and they very much enjoyed the time together alone. The world outside the castle was growing darker and darker with more muggle deaths reported each day. It was becoming more and more dangerous to be a muggle born student. Students with at least one muggle parent stayed more at Hogwarts during this break than any previous break due to parents who wanted to be precautionary in nature. The gossip of potential death eaters spread like wildfire throughout the school and most of the other houses avoided Slytherin students as much as possible. Riley was one of the few Gryffindor students who still associated with a Slytherin outside of class. It was a dark time in wizarding history, and yet this was not the darkest of times yet. Some would still look back at this time and sigh with nostalgia at the naivety. Aside from all of this, life went on as usual for Hogwarts students. The time was growing nearer towards the end of the year and O.W.L.s and N.E.W.T.s were overloading brains and causing meltdowns from house to house.

"I have to take my N.E.W.T.s in Potions, Muggle Studies, Transfiguration, and Defense against the Dark Arts." Riley whispered to Severus as they entered the library. She seemed slightly frazzled at her own words, thinking about the work load in front of her. "And on top of that, I have a huge match against Ravenclaw this week."

Riley ran her hands through her hair, overcome with stress. Severus smirked out of the corner of his mouth and looked at her from the corner of his black eyes.

"Overachiever." He sarcastically mumbled quietly to her, noting that most of the tables were occupied towards the front of the library so he continued his pace to the back. Severus stopped at a wooden table towards the very rear of the library, hidden by the numerous amounts of bookshelves. He dropped his books softly upon the table, pulling a chair out for himself and sitting down. Riley pulled out the chair right next to him and discarded her books on the table top, studying Severus' texts in front of him.

"Potions, Defense Against the Dark Arts, Arithmancy, and Herbology." Riley muttered, leafing through all of Severus' books. "Herbology?" She asked, holding up the book so he could see.

"To be adept at Potions, one must know their ingredients." Severus said plainly with a raised his brow and as he opened his DADA book.

Riley grinned at him and put the book down on the table. She removed her cape from her shoulders and placed it on the back of her chair. Though being athletic, Riley was an intelligent as well. She had told Severus in passing that she had done rather well in her O.W.L. equivalent American exams prior to coming to Hogwarts. It had allowed her to pick and choose which N.E.W.T.s she wanted to partake in. He was surprised at first with the work load that she had taken on, similar to his own. It proved to himself that he had liked her for more than just her looks. She may have been loud and sometimes brass, but she held her own when it came to wits. Their intelligence complimented them both immensely. They were both gifted linguistics and were the logical-mathematical kind as well.

Even with similar attributes, they filled in each other's gaps. Riley was clearly more inter-personal than he was, forgiving and kind, where he held grudges and judged others. But he was better at controlling his emotions than she was, you could clearly see when Riley was angry. With Severus, he was a master of a cool and collected demeanor. This allowed him to be more analytical and calculated.

Their personalities completed each other's. When one couldn't deal with a situation, the other would step up and take the other's place. They were also competitive. That sizzle of competition caused the electricity in their relationship. They challenged each other; one did not simply bow to the other. They were both determined to get 'Outstanding's on every subject area they pursued and were ready to show the other up.

Severus loved that competitiveness about her. It was amusing to have someone challenge him so frequently, even if she occasionally got distracted. He thought it would never grow old. Finally, someone who made his existence interesting in world filled with idiots. She opened her DADA book in front of her and retrieved her quill and pen from her leather bag and began scratching away at a piece of parchment, taking notes.

* * *

Studying, classes, and Quidditch were soon all that consumed their lives. Riley and Severus often studied together in the library between classes so they could at least spend some waking hours in each other's company. They didn't have time to speak of the future after school, but Riley often thought of it. She often thought about what she and Severus might do together. Severus didn't seem very concerned about not having a plan. Riley found this odd, seeing as how he was so meticulous and organized about his schoolwork. She had recently convinced him to look into a career in Potions, since he often displayed his talents for it in class. He mumbled something about how he enjoyed Defense Against the Dark Arts as well. She even made him sign up for a Potions apprenticeship even though he had begrudgingly told her in was fruitless. It made her sad to think that someone who was so intelligent like Severus didn't care about his future. It was almost as if he didn't care about himself.

Unfortunately, from what she had gathered from his over the months, it didn't seem like he had ever had a very good support system in his life. The relationship with his parents was non-existent and he often redirected the conversation if she had asked about them. Riley felt like she was Severus' only cheerleader in life. At least they had each other and that was all that really mattered.

* * *

The Quidditch Cup game was a nail-biting sought after event. House rivals: Slytherin versus Gryffindor had been pitted against each other this year, after wonderful and amazing defeats of the other two houses. Severus clearly wanted his house to win, being a pretty devout Quidditch fan, but of course he wanted to see Riley thrive out on the pitch. She was in her element in the outdoors, swooping and flying around the goal posts she protected. That Hare-like energy aided her in game winning saves and cross-pitch catches. He did enjoy watching her out amongst the crowd, basking in her confidence and unremitting skill. This was the final game and the most important game for her.

Severus noted the chatter amongst the staff members in their particular box as he sat down on the Slytherin side of the pitch. Excitement filled the employees' voices as they sat next to the Tutshill Tornados and Puddlemere United scouts. It was known amongst the teams that the scouts sat quietly and humbly in the stands. Each team was tense with anticipation of the match, wanting to show off their best performance yet. This was a game for both teams that could make or break their players.

With one last pep talk from Crestfellowe, the Gryffindor players took to their designated spots on the pitch. Madam Hooch blew on her whistle and the balls were released. The players mounted their brooms and flew vertically towards their positions above the ground. Severus looked up as Riley caught his black eyes with her blue eyes. He nodded to her in assurance and she nodded back, setting her face into a fierce mask of competitiveness. Eyes back towards the center of the pitch, she patted her shoulder and knee pads out of habit and creaked her neck back and forth. She didn't need luck on her side today. She just needed to play her heart out like she normally did.

"And that's the start of the match!" Jones, the Hufflepuff announcer, proclaimed. Abney and the Slytherin seeker began their laps around the pitch, searching for the Golden Snitch. Riley sat sturdy on her broom, arms folded over each other, a very serious expression on her face. The Gryffindor chasers, one being James, darted towards the quaffle to retrieve it as the Slytherin chasers did the same. Riley adjusted her mind as well her body, waiting for the quaffle to be potentially pushed in her direction.

Before the match, she had met Severus under the stands and they had discussed the scouts that would be attending the match. The normally composed keeper expressed some nerves this afternoon at the possibility of a brighter future if she played her heart out. Severus spoke to her in calming tones and held her by her elbows, looking deeply into her eyes.

"You are by far, one of the most talented keepers I have ever seen. You also have the most ridiculous amount of confidence I've ever seen in one person. Even more than Potter and Black at times." He said, looking down at her from his vast difference in height. His comment caused her to laugh and he caught her chin in his hand as he had so many times before and kissed her gently.

"Slytherin is my house and I'd love to see that Quidditch Cup in our hands rather than Gryffindor's, but your future could depend on this." Severus told her, with a fierce edge to his eyes. Riley smiled brightly at her Slytherin beau and squeezed his hand before heading to the Gryffindor tents.

Now, she sat watching as the Gryffindor chasers scored their first goal. James Potter threw his hands up in the air in triumph as the quaffle sailed through the goal hoop past the Slytherin keeper.

"10 POINTS GRYFFINDOR! Potter sinks the quaffle in the goal like no one is watching!" Jones cried into the microphone loudly, his voice echoing in the stands.

The Slytherin chasers took back the quaffle and headed down the pitch as the Gryffindor beaters attempted to smash the bludgers in their directions. The chasers skillfully dodged the stray bludgers, sweeping in and out throughout their air on their brooms. The mixture of green and scarlet colors looked like Christmas exploded in the sky.

"McCabe and Gibbs from Slytherin have the quaffle and are approaching the Gryffindor keeper, Brannigan! They're doing some great passing between the duo and they look quite menacing coming towards the American! Did you know that this keeper played a summer for the American pro-quidditch team, the Hickory Skyes? I heard that recently from Professor Slughorn. No wonder she's such a catch—haha, get it? A catch? Okay, okay, Professor, I'll get back to the game…" Jones said as he was berated by a Professor seated close by him.

The two chasers took a quick throw, faking with the right and swinging with the left, causing Riley to swivel her head back and forth. She reacted quickly and grabbed her broom with one hand and stood with one foot on the broom while her other hand and leg were outstretched. Kicking with her free foot, Riley sent the incoming quaffle flying to the other side of the pitch where James scooped it up quickly. The stands went wild with cheers as they watched the play.

"The starfish and stick!" Jones cried out, "What an amazing play by Brannigan!"

Riley pumped her fist into the air, after settling on her broom to the cheers and catcalls, a smug look settled upon her face. Boos erupted from the Slytherin section and she ignored them with a grin. The crowd focused back on the swift flying from James and Riley took the opportunity to look down at the crowd. She pointed silently at Severus, whose eyes she had captured and winked. He smirked in recognition, proudly looking up at her. She quickly flipped her glittering blue eyes to the game and watched as James scored their team another ten points.

"TEN POINTS GRYFFINDOR!" Jones exclaimed, "Excellent toss by Potter! The games' 20 to 0."

The Slytherin team was pretty fed up at this point and were the receivers of many boos for fouling their opposition. Crestfellowe, a beater, was the target of a lot of cobbing, excessive elbow use, and blatching, flying with the intent of colliding. Riley kept her eyes up and crossed her fingers on her broom that Abney would soon find the Golden Snitch while they still had the advantage. So far quaffles had streaked by her which she had stopped and she wanted to keep it that way in front of the scouts. At one point, the Slytherin beaters started lodging their bludgers in her direction and she was able to duck and dive out of the way in time.

At one point, Riley was in the middle of doing a Sloth Grip Roll, hanging upside down from her broom to avoid a bludger, when a quaffle came soaring past her head. Seeing this, she righted herself on her broom and performed a spectacular Double Eight Loop, where she flew in front of the three goal hoops at a high speed and whacked the quaffle out of the way using the tail end of her broom. The quaffle flew to the other side of the pitch and into her opponent's unsuspecting goal net earning Gryffindor another ten points.

"ANOTHER SAVE BY BRANNIGAN! TEN POINTS FOR GRYFFINDOR BY THE KEEPER!"

The crowd went wild on the Gryffindor side as Riley set herself back in front of her goal posts. They were up now 30 to 0 with Gryffindor in the lead. Severus looked over to the professors' box in between the Slytherin and Gryffindor boxes. The scouts were looking surprised and wide eyed at the spectacle that had surfaced on the pitch. They nodded to each other and took notes on their notepads sitting in their hands.

"The Golden Snitch has been sighted!" Jones cried out suddenly, his voice cutting through the air. All heads swung towards the center of the pitch as Abney and the Slytherin Seeker, Lucinda Talkalot, dove in a spiral corkscrew towards the grassy plain below. Abney shot left and Lucinda moved right as the snitch flittered between them both. Their arms were both outstretched and fingertips ready to brush against the wings as they flew their finest. Riley bobbled along on her broomstick, throwing her fist in the air to chant with the Gryffindor fans. The snitch sharply turned and bolted out of sight into the clouds above. The two seekers noted the sudden change and shot upward at the same time to catch another glimpse of their prize.

While they awaited the outcome of the chase, quaffles began to move up field. The two Slytherin chasers went at it again, tossing the quaffle back and forth between them, trying to speed themselves up to catch Riley off guard. She looked at them with narrowed eyes as the red leather ball danced in front of her. Riley's blue eyes followed each of the ball's movements, careful to heed any toss coming her way. Paying attention to the quaffle, Riley momentarily took her eyes off of the Slytherin chaser on her left. The left sided chaser took Riley's momentary lapse to elbow her right in the ribs. Boos erupted from the crowd as Riley doubled over in pain, folding over on her broom.

"What a dirty play!" Jones cried out angrily.

Severus' eyes flashed darker than their normal color, noting his housemate. He would find some way to make the offender pay for harming Riley. He continued to watch in concern as Riley lay over her wooden handle. Clutching one side of her torso, Riley watched painfully as the quaffle soared over head and into the center hoop. Madam Hooch blew her whistle loudly, grabbing the quaffle from behind the hoop and flying over to the unsavory chaser.

"Cobbing during a goal scoring opportunity! No goal! Penalty shot goes to Gryffindor!" Madam Hooch cried thunderously upon her broom. She shook her pointer finger at the boy scolding him quietly and turning to check on Riley. Riley rubbed her ribs a final time and waved Madam Hooch's concern away as she glared daggers at the chaser. The chaser leered menacingly back and flew back to his side of the pitch.

The Gryffindor chasers flew to the center and set up to take a shot. James swung his arm back and tossed the quaffle towards the goal post with all his might. Everyone watched with wide eyes as the keeper grabbed at the red leather round object, surely capturing it. At the last minute though, the ball skid off the top of the player's fingertips and into the goal.

The Gryffindor students went crazy with boisterous cheers and slaps of merriment on each other backs. Meanwhile, the two seekers appeared out of the line of the Scottish clouds. The tips of their broom handles dipped below the edge of the white, pearly sky and down again towards the pitch, both seekers side by side. In a final grasp, Abney outstretched his hand one final time and grasped his fingers around the golden fluttering object.

"THAT'S IT! GRYFFINDOR WINS 190 to 0! THEY WIN THE QUIDDITCH CUP!" Jones blasted loudly, his voice echoing the emotion in the stands. The cheers from the lion-hearted grew louder than the hissing of Slytherins and the stands were loud with singing and chanting.

Severus watched as the Gryffindor team sailed together to the ground, lifting their brooms into the air in victory. They huddled together in a mass of scarlet and gold, arms around each other, jumping up and down enthusiastically. Students began to pour onto the pitch to celebrate with the victors when Severus saw a tall, black-haired Professor McGonagall making a straight line for the Quidditch team. She swerved in and out maneuvering between students before standing in the middle of the cluster of the team.

"Brannigan, Potter, and Abney, let me see you for just a minute!" The professor cried above the singing students.

The three students looked at each other and pulled themselves from the crowd to where McGonagall led them outside the gathering of students. They looked up at their head of house curiously waiting for her explanation. Severus took this opportunity to get a closer listen by sliding out of the Slytherin box and heading down to the pitch where he could overhear the Tranfiguration professor speaking to her competitors. He stood quietly behind a bunch of Gryffindors and Hufflepuffs and eavesdropped.

"You three have been requested for an interview with two scouts from the Tutshill Tornadoes and Puddlemere United! This is a wonderful opportunity and could lead to a future career in professional Quidditch! So, get on now, head back to tent! They'll be waiting for you!" McGonagall said in an excited and upbeat tone, waving her students towards their team tent.

The three stood for a moment in shock and looked at each other, collecting their thoughts. Riley looked behind a throng of students and saw Severus positioned nonchalantly towards the edge of the crowd. His black eyes met her blue eyes, feeling her gaze upon him. The steadiness in his eyes steadied the emotions swirling inside her. He nodded at her, shifting the curtains of his black hair and she nodded back. The nonverbal communication confirmed her own thoughts and feelings and she set her mind towards the interview.

James looked back and forth at the silent, almost undetected gesture between Severus and Riley and rolled his eyes. The two had been almost inseparable since the day they met and unfortunately for James, this was a constant observation. Although he had wished for a different partner for Riley, he began to see how they fit together. He patted Riley on the back and the three contenders walked in a hushed reverence towards the tent, awaiting their future.

* * *

Gryffindor celebrated in classic frat-house style that night after securing the Quidditch Cup. The common room was packed wall to wall with students with music blaring all around. Frosty mugs filled with libations were passed around by the older students and deftly taken out of the hands of younger students.

"Let's thank Potter and Black for pilfering—or oof" Crestfellowe, the Gryffindor captain tried to say as he was poked in the side by James indicating a need to change his verbage, "—or rather, for borrowing Old Sluggy's mead to celebrate this momentous occasion!"

The crowded room cheered loudly, raising their mugs in the air.

"As Head Boy," James chimed in, adjusting his badge upon his shirt, "I should tell you all to bugger off and go to bed, but as a fellow winner of the Quidditch Cup, I say who needs sleep?" He pounded his fist in the air with the last of his words causing the crowd to go crazy again. The Gryffindor common room was filled to the brim of the housemates to celebrate their victory.

"Also, thanks to our resident audiophile, Brannigan, for supplying the music!" Cheers erupted again as Riley toasted the room with a mug of mead in her hand. Riley took out her wand and pointed it at her record player sitting on a coffee table shouting the word, "Sonorus!" to turn up the volume. Freddy Mercury's voice rose about the crowd singing, "We will, we will ROCK YOU!"

The Quidditch team joined arms and sang, somewhat drunkenly along with the lead singer of Queen. They jumped up and down, hanging on to each other, singing crudely and loudly. It was a wonder that the celebration hadn't been broken up yet, but McGonagall, being a former Quidditch player herself, might have charmed her living quarters for the evening. It was the least she could do to support her house's win.

Crestfellowe took a giant gulp of mead out of the giant Quidditch cup before passing it to James. Lily gave James a look as he tilted the cup back to his lips and he shrugged at her. She waved him on and turned back to her friends standing next to her who giggled at James' head in the giant trophy. The record flipped itself with the wave of a wand and the room filled with the song of the night.

"We are the champions! WE ARE THE CHAMPIONS!" The room cried together as the students joined arms, swaying together in time and out of time with the music. Sirius took the opportunity to replace a departing member of the team and wrapped his arm around Riley's now empty shoulder. He swayed tipsily, badly butchering the muggle lyrics of the song. Riley took her blue eyes and surveyed him warily. With no Severus in the Gryffindor Common Room, there would be no murder tonight. She turned her head and joined her team in singing the last of the lyrics. As they laughed in hysterics, Riley turned her head back to Sirius, just in time to stop his puckering lips with her now free hand.

"Sirius! Really?" She exclaimed at him. Sirius laughed it off, unfazed by her hand pushing his lips away. He kissed her hand in reply with a good natured chortle.

"I just wanted to see if you changed your mind! But you haven't!" Sirius said chuckling merrily. His black hair swept wildly around his face as he bobbed and weaved. He stuck out his pointer finger in the air, like he was about to make a declaration of some sort. Riley braced herself with her defenses up, clearly not even a hint as drunk as Sirius.

"I have decided to forgive you for dumping me for old Snivelly!" He proclaimed with his finger still pointed in the air, a cocky grin surmounted upon his handsome face. Riley rolled her eyes at that and folded her arms in front of her.

"I have also decided that he has not slipped you a love potion as I have been telling everyone." Riley's black rimmed eyes widened and they angrily shot daggers at him. His eyes were lazily narrowed with drink and now opened a bit larger when he saw her expression.

"But you seemed to make him less of an arse somehow." He said to her in a sweeter tone. The daggers in her eyes didn't completely dissipate but softened their edge. She remembered Severus' story from earlier this year, but realized that the Gryffindor students had grown up a little since then. Now, was not a great example of grown up, but the words that were spoken, were almost a borderline apology for Sirius' earlier actions.

Sirius reached out with his pointer finger that was held up earlier and touched her gently at the tip of her button nose, like a child bopping a clown on a round rubber nose.

"Friends?" Sirius asked with a genuine look of drunken interest on his face.

"Sure." Riley said cautiously, "If you remember in the morning."

Sirius grinned boyishly at her and gathered her up suddenly in his arms, pulling her into a hug.

"Thanks, friend." He said affectionately. She patted him gently on the top of his head and slowly tried to pry his arms from her sides.

"Just try to keep your lips off of me for the rest of the night, huh?" She said with a raised brow as she pulled away from his grasp. Sirius apparently found this hilarious as he clutched his sides in laughter. James sauntered his way over with the gigantic trophy in his hands. He eyed the spectacle before him that was his best friend and gave Riley a look.

"Getting along, I see?" James said with a lop-sided grin.

"I have forgiven her for her past indiscretions! We are friends until the end!" Sirius cried out merrily.

Riley silently thanked whoever was listening that Severus was not a member of Gryffindor house at that moment. She thought if Severus was anywhere near this exhibition perhaps Sirius would have been bald from hexes at the end of the night. Riley shook her head and drank from her mug quietly.

* * *

a/n: Thanks to all my readers!


	18. Chapter 18

**Chapter 18**

Owls swooped over the Great Hall all carrying parcels and letters of sorts. It was near the end of the breakfast as students held out their hands to receive the dropped and discarded items raining down from the sharp talons. As owls approached the Gryffindor table, Riley sat laughing at the antics from the latter evening during the Quidditch Cup celebration in the Gryffindor Common Room. Remus flanked her side, listening as Riley recounted to a very embarrassed Sirius all of which he had expelled to her in his drunken and merry state. She was impressed in the manner in which he took the teasing, taking note of her anecdotes with his head in hands. His wavy hair sat laced between his fingers as Riley turned to Remus and gave her best show of pushing Sirius' lips away with her hand.

"I am so sorry, Riley." Sirius muttered into the palms of his hands. "I'm just grateful Snivelly didn't witness that or I'd be hexed to Azkaban and back."

Riley grinned at him and patted him gently on the top of his head with an outstretched hand from across the table.

"There, there, Sirius. I'm glad he wasn't there as well to witness that spectacle." Riley chuckled, her blue eyes sparkling mischievously.

"My head won't let me forget it." Sirius mumbled, rubbing his temples.

Just then a golden envelope fell into Riley's hands followed by the quick arrival and departure of an unfamiliar owl. Remus' light brown hair fell in front of his eyes as he looked over eagerly from Riley's right side. He swiped his hair back with a free hand and looked at Riley curiously.

"Well, open it." He said quietly gazing at the metallic sheen.

Sirius even picked his head up from his hands to look at the glistening paper. Riley nodded and flipped the envelope over. She peeled back the wax seal and opened the flap carefully. She took out a single piece of parchment and unfolded it. With a quick second's glance, a realization flooded her face and it drained of color. Remus and Sirius looked on with anticipation, awaiting her reaction and the answer to their silent questioning stares. Her mouth opened and closed much like a fish but no sound erupted from her lips. Suddenly, noise came out of her mouth in a strained tone like someone had forgotten to fix a leaky pipe.

"I-I-" She uttered, staring at the paper, her eyes wild in thought. Remus and Sirius leaned closer to hear the noise and to possibly see the ink upon the stark white parchment.

"What, Riley?" Sirius said, trying to curtail his eagerness.

Her eyes of blue flashed suddenly and it was as if she had been wakened from a long slumber. She stood quickly with a jump from the seat, standing behind the bench. She gripped the letter tightly and looked at the boys with wide, black-rimmed eyes.

"I have to go tell Severus." Riley shot out abruptly at the two surprised faces.

She dashed out of the hall unexpectedly, turning on her heel with the letter crushed in her fist. Her chestnut bob bounced on the back of her neck as she ran from the Great Hall. Nearly Headless Nick raised his index finger to chastise the young girl for running in the Hall but gave up easily seeing the feral look in her eyes.

Sirius and Remus looked at each other with quizzical expressions. Sirius rolled his gray eyes before setting his face back down into his palms. Remus stared at the top of his friend's wavy haired head.

"Do you think she realizes everyone knows she's in love with Severus?" Remus asked thoughtfully.

"I don't think she's even admitted it to herself, Remus. How else could she resist my charms?" Sirius said, smirking ruefully through the webbing of his fingers.

"Ha, this is what you call your charms, hm?" Remus laughed, poking his friend with his index finger.

* * *

Riley ran down the stairs, further and further into depths of the castle, careful to take the staircases before they switched their paths. She still clutched the golden envelope and the parchment in her grasp as she took the steps two at a time. She followed her own trail down towards the Slytherin dungeons, knowing Severus' schedule routinely. He was a stickler for convention and ate his breakfast rather early due to his poor sleeping habits. She knew he'd be getting ready to leave the dungeons soon for his first class and that she could intercept him on his way out. She arrived by the Slytherin Common Room entrance, trying to be inconspicuous by studying the portraits on the nearby walls. She was knowingly glared at by a group of third years as they sauntered out from the wall to the hallway. She ignored their stares and tapped her foot anxiously awaiting the exit of a tall Severus Snape.

She didn't have to wait long as she looked at particularly odd painting of a cow in a pasture.

"You're in the wrong hallway." A cool voice said quietly, giving her goosebumps as she felt the person's warm breath tickle her ear. His deep baritone voice rippled pleasantly through her body like a knife spreading honey on toast.

"Severus!" She said, twisting her body quickly around from the painting, facing him. He stood close to her so that her back was to the wall. He loomed over her, his dark hair framing the sides of his face as his black eyes glittered humorously at her. She momentarily forgot the reason for her presence down in the dungeons as she studied his handsome face and his large difference in height. His black brows drew together as he waited for her to speak. His cheekbones and Roman nose gave him a regal appearance as if he were an ancient dark king. It blew her mind that he still took her breath away regardless of how intimate they'd already been. The tension reverberated between their two bodies as if they were magnetically charged.

"Riley?" He asked, trying to prompt her speech. He dipped his gaze down and looked suddenly at the golden letter clutched in her hand. Riley looked down at her own hand, seeing the sweep of his eyes and held up the letter in one quick thrust.

"I'm in!" She cried, suddenly remembering the reason for her trek to the bottom of the castle. She grabbed Severus by the front of his cape and threw herself into his arms. "I got the teaching apprenticeship!"

She jumped up in down in his arms wildly like she had just won the Quidditch World Cup. He looked at her with an amused expression watching the girl bop up and down. As quickly as she started, she stopped and began looking into his eyes rapidly with her blue eyes, searching for an answer.

"Did you get a letter too?" She said abruptly, still clutching her letter and Severus' cape. Severus rolled his eyes and dug a long fingered hand into his pant pocket. A golden letter slid out of the pocket and into his hand. He held it up for Riley to see as she ripped it out his hand, releasing his cape from her grip. She wretched the letter out of the envelope before he could say anything and unfolded it. Her swift blue eyes flew over the words written gallantly in the finest of quill ink. Finally, her eyes shot up to Severus' face and a grinned stretched over her tanned, balmy face.

"You're in!" Riley cried loudly, so that the portraits around them stared in irritation. She jumped up and down repeatedly again, grasping his hands in hers like a child excited about going to the candy store. She laughed loudly and spun around in front of him, throwing her hands in the air.

"We're going together!" She squealed in a very un-Riley-like tone, resembling a fame hungry teenager. Severus stared her now with an embarrassed coloring creeping on to his face, her display growing a little too exuberant for him. His eyes fluttered back and forth to the entrance to the Slytherin dungeon and he reached over to capture the excitable girl by her shoulders. He used his height to his advantage as he led her further down the hall towards an alcove hidden by the shadows of the lower floor.

"I'm not sure I want this apprenticeship." Severus told the enthusiastic girl, holding her arms by her sides to keep her from jumping again. "I have to consider it first."

Riley ignored his words, knowing that he was inflexibly negative about positive outcomes. She looked at him with an even wilder expression, her cheeks growing flushed at her own thoughts.

"We could live together. Outside of school!" she blurted out unable to hold back anymore. Her eyes grew wide and incredulous, almost in awe at her own words.

Severus' face reddened once more at her outburst, surprised at her boldness. He was in shock of how blunt she was and that she was considering living with him. His face grew crimson as he began thinking about the possibility of being with the girl he fancied all the time, without restrictions. Her words always came at him abruptly and sporadically so that he had no time to ready his occlumency shields. Riley looked at his face and toned down her glittering eyes with concern.

"But if that's too much," She babbled, in an anxious sort of energy, "We don't have to…I don't think my parents would approve anyways. With us not being married—" Riley reddened too, "Not—not that I'm saying we should get married. That's silly. We're only 18. I mean—that's crazy—"

Severus was silent as he placed a gentle index finger upon her cherry lips to subdue her babbling. She was nervous, excited, and anxious and apparently could not control her mouth or her thoughts. She stared up at him with huge orbs for eyes, waiting for a response from her crazy burst of verbal contemplation. He could tell that he needed to choose his next words carefully staring down at her, seeing the hopefulness in her eyes. This was a lot for him to consider, never imagining that anyone would want to live with him. Thinking about the fact that someone would tolerate him long enough to be around him for more than a day. So he changed the subject, uncomfortable with all the emotions that surged throughout his body.

"What about Quidditch?" He said in a very firm tone. "Have you considered that you might still be scouted?"

Riley's wide eyes returned to their normal size as she scrunched up her face grumpily. His current questions were not the words she wanted to hear. She did not do well hiding her feelings as she stared up at him.

"I'll worry about that when that happens, _if_ that happens." She said in an annoyed tone, annunciating the "if" strongly. She set a firm determined look in her blue eyes and looked up at him expectantly, awaiting for him to chime in about their living situation. He grew internally frustrated at his failed attempt to distract her and noted the quick way her expression changed. For as much as he internalized, she equally expressed herself in a very physical way, her face like a mirror that had been enchanted to show her soul. He sighed and gave in knowing that he would be given thwarted glances for the next several days if he did not response to her comment.

"You want to live with _me_?" He asked her with an irritated puzzled expression. "But you'll have to see me all the time."

Riley's face grew even more frustrated and she shook her head, rolling her eyes.

"Merlin, Severus, you make it sound like I'll be entering an infirmary with the plague. This self-loathing stuff is getting old."

He silently glared at her as he loomed above her.

"I love you, you ass." She said angrily.

Severus' face was wiped clean of any anger as he stared down at her in shock. Too irritated to be surprised by her own words, she placed her hands on her hips. Severus stood silently as he studied her face, his eyes searching her eyes for something that told him she was joking. Nothing looked back at him except for sincerity and irritation. It dawned on him that she wanted nothing in return for this verbal revelation and he took her again by the shoulders and pressed her against the stone wall in the alcove. He pinned her to the wall with his hands and took her lips in his, kissing her deeper and deeper without taking a breath. He heard jeering behind him as some of his housemates passed by them in their embrace. He ignored their remarks as they left the hall and continued to kiss her as she kissed him back furiously. Her hips began to press into his from the wall as he gently parted her lips, growing too eager with their interaction.

"If we lived together we could do a lot more of this." She said breathlessly in a tantalizing tone. "It would be a great way to settle all of our disputes."

An unexpected laugh rose from Severus' throat and he kissed her forehead in reply still smiling.

* * *

a/n: Thank you as always to my loyal readers and welcome to any new readers! Your enthusiasm brightens my day!


	19. Chapter 19

**Chapter 19**

"The Headmaster would like to see you, Miss Brannigan." Professor Slughorn said cheerfully, holding a piece of parchment in his hand. His gaze met the blue eyes of the American girl in the back of the dungeon as he raised his head from the note in front of him. Riley stood suddenly, scooting her stool back from the potions lab table. She nodded to her professor and looked quickly at Severus who was seated next to her. His black eyes locked with hers and he reached out for her hand under the table. He gently squeezed her hand briefly in reassurance, looking at her pensively. Students did not get called to the Headmaster's office during class unless something imperative needed to be communicated. Riley had only been to the headmaster's office once before when she was sorted upon her late arrival. She released Severus' hand reluctantly and walked up to Old Sluggy to retrieve the latest candy-themed password to gain entrance into the Headmaster's office.

"The password is _Pixie Puffs_." Slughorn whispered gently into Riley's ear.

Riley was grateful that her professor didn't see the roll her eyes gave as she heard the sweetly named password. She didn't know the headmaster as well as other students, but he sure gave the impression of being an adult who never quite grew up.

Riley reluctantly hurried through the castle as she walked up to the Headmaster's Tower to the Gargoyle corridor. She stood in front of the large and ugly stone creature and muttered, "Pixie Puffs," as she rolled her eyes again. The gargoyle jumped out of the way and the circular stone staircase rose. Riley climbed the stairs with her cape hitting the back of her ankles making the journey upward. She stopped in front of the door unsure of what to do, when the door swung open magically. Walking in, she felt the eyes of all the past headmasters and headmistresses on her, surveying her appearance. She silently cursed herself for not unrolling her uniform skirt before she entered the curious chamber. She shook her feelings from her mind as her eyes widened at the group gathered before her. Albus Dumbledore sat at his desk in a silver backed chair, looking quite comfortable. Her Head of House, Minerva McGonagall, adored in her normal teaching robes spoke to a gentleman in gray dress robes. Riley looked to the right of the cluster of adults and saw a familiar face that she had seen at the last Slug Club party, Alder Rowan, the captain of the Tutshill Tornados. Alder's face lit up as he noted her arrival. The twenty-something-year-old man was oddly decked out in his full blue Tutshill Tornados' gear as he grinned at her.

Riley's head cocked to the side curiously as he walked towards her in the middle of the office and held out his hand for her to shake. She took his large hand in hers and shook it skeptically, trying to return his smile.

"I believe congratulations are in order, Miss Brannigan." Dumbledore said from his seat, his hands set in a steeple before him.

Riley's dark eyebrow rose in confusion as her headmaster addressed her. Alder looked at her and waved his massive hand to the gentleman in the gray dress robes.

"This is the owner of the Tutshill Tornados, Bilius Cattermole. Bilius, this is Riley Brannigan." Alder said in his warm Scottish accent.

Bilius, a man in his sixties with graying blonde hair, held out his weathered and tanned hand for Riley to shake. Riley took the man's hand in hers and shook it firmly looking him in his green eyes.

"Miss Brannigan," The older gentleman began, clearing his throat ceremoniously, "We'd like to offer you a chance to play on our summer league with the Tutshill Tornadoes and issue you a first year contract to play on the reserve team in the fall. Based on your summer and first year performance, we'd then consider hiring you full time."

Riley looked at the man speechless. The older man looked back at her awaiting a response.

"Well, what do you say, Riley?" Alder asked eagerly, bouncing up and down on the balls of his feet slightly, "We'd figured we'd offer you the chance before you got recruited somewhere else."

Alder looked at her with his hands clasped together, his hazel eyes urging her on. Dumbledore noticed the discomfort and surprise on the young girl's face and spoke up.

"Our Miss Brannigan has also been offered a teaching apprenticeship too in Muggle Studies." Dumbledore commented, looking at her over his half-moon spectacles.

"Wow! Congratulations, Riley! An apprenticeship too?" Alder exclaimed looking at her with an admiring expression. "So not just athletic, but brainy too?"

Riley could not speak as everyone in the room looked at her. She never dreamed of receiving both positions, she felt torn and excited all at the same time. She immediately thought of Severus and wished he was there to consult. He was rational in thought and could talk her down from her emotional decision making.

"The apprenticeship is on condition that I perform well on my N.E.W.T.s." Riley said quietly.

"Don't be modest, Miss Brannigan," McGonagall said, "You do quite well in your classes." Her Head of House smiled sweetly at the girl.

Riley smiled back softly, but her head was deep in thought. Severus would want her to take the Quidditch position, but she wanted to take the apprenticeship to stay with him. The Quidditch position would mean some travel. Would that take away from her studies? She currently saw Severus almost every day and even more during Potions. If they did indeed live together, she could be guaranteed to see him every single day if she weren't traveling for a game. She could apparate after each match to ensure she'd be home. Would her parents approve of her even living with Severus? Did she care what they thought now? Would she ever let someone separate herself from her Slytherin? Did Severus even want to live with her? He never formally gave her an answer…

So many thoughts flew freely through her mind with the pressure of all the eyes upon her. Whatever decision she made would influence the future of her relationship with Severus. Finally, she heard the crisp, clean baritone-laced thoughts in her mind that sounded distinctly like the one she loved. She knew what he'd want for her.

"I could do both…" Riley said at last, mustering up a cheerful tone to hide her confusion, "When else would I have this opportunity again?"

"Brilliant!" Alder said, grabbing her hand again and pumping it up and down again enthusiastically. Riley tried to smile at him, through the underlying stress she was trying to suppress.

"We should let Miss Brannigan get back to class now, her N.E.W.T.s are steadily approaching." Dumbledore stated with a jolly edge to his voice. His eyes sparkled knowingly at her, almost as if he sensed her anxiousness to get back to class. Class was the last thing on her mind at the moment though. The only thing that mattered was Severus.

"Right then, Riley. You're due to the team's office on July 1st at ten in the morning. I'll send you an official owl as a reminder." Alder said jovially, nodding to Bilius. Bilius nodded back and smiled softly at the girl.

"I'm sure she'll get her affairs in order by then, Alder." Dumbledore said with another twinkle that sparkled in his blue eyes.

"Thank you so much for this opportunity." Riley said humbly, looking at the two gentlemen, "I look forward to working with you both in the future."

She shook each of their hands one last time before turning on her heeled platform shoes and walking out the door behind her. When she heard the click of the closed door, she raced down the circular staircase. She dashed along the halls and down the staircases towards the bottom of the castle, careful to avoid Peeves the ghost, who was setting a booby trap in a doorway. By the time she reached the dungeons, she was out of breath and leaned herself against the stone wall outside of the Potions classroom. She straightened her skirt and her tie and walked into the classroom calmly, nodding to Professor Slughorn as she arrived. He smiled congenially at her and continued on with his prattle as he pointed to the blackboard.

Other students raised their heads briefly at her as she passed them, but quickly moved their eyes back to Slughorn, seeing nothing of note. As she walked to the back of the classroom, careful to not allow her shoes to click, she caught Severus' eyes. His black eyes locked on to her blue eyes with interest and slight concern. She pulled out her stool as silently as she could manage and turned immediately to her side.

"Muffliato." Severus muttered, pointing his wand from his robes at the surrounding students. Picking up his head that was framed with curtains of black silky hair, he straightened up to his full height on the lab stool. Riley's brow rose as she watched the students rub their ears in confusion.

"They can't hear us now." He said plainly and precisely in a normal tone.

Riley looked impressed and twitched her cherry lips upward in an impish smile.

"I know I liked you for more than just your looks." She said in a smug tone, eyeing him playfully, making his ears warm to a pink tone.

"Tell me what happened." He said briefly in a firm tone, quickly changing the subject matter.

"Tutshill offered me a spot." Riley said bluntly.

"What did you say?" Severus asked without reserve, eyeing her expression.

"Yes." She said, keeping her eyes locked on his to read his reaction. "I'm going to try to take both positions."

"That's quite a lot to take on." He told her, with a serious tone.

"I know, but it is a once in a lifetime experience. I may never get to experience either again." Riley said plainly.

Severus nodded thoughtfully agreeing with her deliberation and stared at her, studying her face.

"You're worried about it though, it's written all over your face." He said practically, his black eyes searching for an answer.

"Not all of us have developed the ability to completely mask our emotions…" Riley smirked at him, still with an undercurrent of worry mixed in her eyes. "But of course, I'm worried. I'm worried about _our_ situation." She said quietly, her eyelashes fluttering softly upon her cheeks.

"You want to live together." He mused aloud. His black eyes sparkled knowingly at her. "Your parents may not approve, didn't you say that?"

"I know. I did say that. But I don't care." Riley said bluntly.

"I don't either." Severus said smoothly.

"What does that mean?" Riley asked, her eyebrow rising in question.

"You know what it means, Riley, or have you been drinking whatever is the Gryffindor gillywater?" Severus said, his tone a little frank.

Riley glared at him briefly.

"Say it." She said in an irritated voice, knowing that he was avoiding the inevitable. She wanted to hear him say what she longed to hear. Severus grumbled and looked at the students surrounding them, uneasiness in his eyes.

"You already said they can't hear us." Riley said, watching the direction of his gaze. He shook his head in frustration, not wanting to share his feelings—or even talk about them for that matter. She was the only one that he would allow to badger him like this. Anyone else would get ignored or worse...

"Severus..." she said, turning herself on her stool and facing him slightly so that her eyes bore into to him. She placed her hand on his knee and his breath caught in his throat. The way she said his name and the touch of her hand drove him wild inside. He closed his eyes to suppress the flood of warmth that surrounded his knee and above and then opened them. She had no idea what she did to him. He had an idea of what his voice did to her, when she purred like a kitten as he rumbled in her ear. But no one said his name like she did, with passion and longing at the same time. She made his name sound enticing and her tone hinted at things to come.

"I want you to live with me." He said finally, picking his head up and staring at her with his black eyes. He could not withhold his feelings any further. His eyes said everything his other facial features did not. Desperation lingered there—a desperation to love and be loved back. Riley held back as much as she could to not kiss him full upon the lips right there and then.

"Incendio." Riley whispered, surprising Severus as he began to feel the pull to her as he always did, the tug that drew him to her. He watched as she pulled out her wand with her short, blue polished nails and pointed it at a Slytherin student's robes in the first row. A tiny flame licked the edge of the students' robes instantaneously and smoke began to silently rise. The smoke wafted through the air and the aroma quickly filled the nostrils of other nearby students. The distraction was created as Slughorn and other students tried to snuff the fire out quickly. Knowing the student was no real danger and using the moment to her advantage, Riley leaned over to Severus and kissed him gently upon his lips. She captured him off guard, causing his eyes to stay open a few extra seconds. He closed his eyes and thought about how he would prefer having this time alone with his Gryffindor as her lips intermingled with his. He tasted the cherry sweetness of her lips as she captured his lower lip. She slowly pulled back from him before prying eyes could see.

"Apparently, you have a little Slytherin in you." Severus said softly, looking in her blue ocean eyes.

"Apparently." Riley said sweetly, looking right back at him.

* * *

Riley sat over the simmering cauldron, her chestnut glossy locks falling in front of her face. She swept them back with her forearm, careful to not allow the sopophorous bean juice on her hands get in her hair. She cursed herself mentally for not remembering to tie back her hair before the N.E.W.T. exam. A look of determination set in her blue eyes as she added the juice to her cauldron and began stirring the container anticlockwise. Her skin glowed with a faint hint of perspiration as the room grew humid with brewing of potions. She glanced swiftly over to her table partner, who stood calmly over his beans. She grumbled in frustration as she watched his very calm exterior as he handled his ingredients. Although she was a decent potions student, Severus still had more precision than she could ever imagine for herself. His silky black hair hung by his face as she looked at his unreadable expression. After the seventh turn of her potion, she glanced down in the cauldron expecting to see the contents turn lilac in color. Instead she was greeted with an unwelcome murky eggplant shade. In frustration, she threw the wooden spoon aside, back into the cauldron and sat down on her stool in a huff. She folded her arms and buried her face in her sweater covered arms, shaking her head back and forth in anger.

Severus looked over at her, hearing the muttering of curses coming from the buried head on the table. His calm face took on a sympathetic glimmer as he patted her gently on the head with his free hand. This potion was incredibly challenging and he saw similar looks of defeat popping up in various stages all over the room. He glanced over at her potion, turning his head slightly and grimaced at the eggplant color lurking in her cauldron. He turned back to his potion, careful not to unsettle the good results he had seen thus far. He placed the juice of 13 sopophorous beans in the mixture rather than 12 and began to stir. He stirred seven times anticlockwise, and one final time clockwise. He peered over the liquid and smirked with satisfaction as the potion turned a lightly colored lilac.

"Well done, Severus!" Slughorn exclaimed, clapping his chubby hands together in excitement. He patted the young man on the back, reaching his hand up as high as he could to grasp Severus' much higher shoulder. Several students with exasperated expressions swung their heads around to their back table at the sound of Slughorn's praise. Many glares reached their table, but Severus ignored them as he felt the pride fill up within himself.

Riley picked up her head that she been beating against her arms and extended her short height on her stool to view the contents of Severus' potion. Her eyes widened at the color that she saw and she pressed her lips together humbled by Severus' skilled effort. Slughorn ventured over to her side, careful to not bump his stomach into the nearby contents and peered in her black basin. A look of eagerness went into the cauldron and a look of disappointment came out. Riley's face paled as she watched the professor's mood change so quickly in a short amount of time.

"A-a valiant effort!" Slughorn said, attempting to provide an equally kind compliment to Severus' lab partner. The professor looked a bit flustered and quickly moved to the next student. His face fell deeper as he looked into Avery's cauldron. The potions master walked away swiftly, as he coughed heavily into his fist. He muttered apologizes to his Slytherin student claiming he had a coughing fit and must fetch some water.

Severus' face lit up with suppressed humor as he watched the older professor toddle away as fast as he could from Avery's potion. Slughorn turned his back on the class as he transfigured a vial into a small bowl and produced his stomach contents neatly into it with barely a sound. With a wave of his wand again, the bowl and its contents were delivered elsewhere. The professor turned back to the class and delicately wiped the corners of his mouth with a handkerchief that he had retrieved from his lapel pocket. Avery's face was horrified at the display and he pushed the cauldron further away from his table.

Riley looked at Severus, who was trying to contain his internal laughter, by placing his hand on his lips to conceal his smirk. Riley's blue eyes swept over her partner as her lips tugged upward at Severus' expression.

"At least you didn't cause someone to expel their breakfast at the sight and smell of your potion." Severus said with a voice just above a whisper.

* * *

A/N: Thank you, readers. Thank you, reviewers, followers, and people who have made my story a favorite. You all inspire me and reward me with your time. Thank you.


	20. Chapter 20

The year grew closer and closer to a close as N.E.W.T.s were completed. Riley grew more and more concerned with Severus' situation in Slytherin as he occasionally let it slip that potential Death Eaters were making advances on him. Riley never imagined wanting to leave the place that she had fell in love with—the second home that she had made here with Severus, but it was deeply upsetting to her that Severus was being targeted by the Dark Lord's cohorts. She knew the reason for their interest lie in the one thing Riley valued most about Severus—his intelligence. He was obviously the most brilliant wizard in their year and his knowledge of potions rivaled the authors of their textbooks. He would be easily a valued trophy for the former Tom Riddle to behold.

Severus constantly assured Riley that he would be fine, in the most dauntless and sarcastic way. She knew that he wouldn't be swayed to the dark side, but she was worried about the lengths the Death Eaters would go to get what they wanted. It was a dangerous time and no one was quite immune to the darkness that lurked in the wizarding world.

* * *

With the graduation approaching, N.E.W.T. scores were dispersed to the students. Riley fared well in potions in the end, despite her eggplant-colored debacle. When they received their scores, Riley had earned an 'Exceeds Expectations' which caused her to jump up and down in joy. Severus, of course, by contrast, received an 'Outstanding'. Riley applauded this well deserved effort on Severus' part. He had earned every bit of that grade. Severus also praised Riley for receiving her 'E' due to the fact that there were many students who did not achieve past 'Acceptable'. They did quite well in their other N.E.W.T.s, scoring 'Outstanding' in all their other subjects. This secured both of their scholarships and allowed them free range of whatever career they considered of their choosing.

Looking towards the future, both students had savings in their Gringotts accounts. Riley had a much more considerable amount than Severus, though she would never tell him due to her parents' higher income status back in the United States. To honor Severus' pride, she agreed that they would equally pay for and share a flat near the outskirts of London. Both of their continued education courses would be based in London, so a flat nearby made sense. Riley had sent her parents an owl mentioning their impending graduation and had purposely left out the part about sharing a flat with Severus. When the time presented itself, she'd explain their situation and hopefully forgiveness would follow. Severus was wary of this omission to Riley's parents, but trusted that she would use her best judgment.

The graduation ceremony was scheduled on a Saturday so that family and friends could make the rare trip to the quiet and secured school. Riley eagerly awaited the arrival of her parents, but a tickle of worry lingered low in her belly at the thought of telling them about her future plans. She knew they'd love Severus, but knew that her father, though advanced in science and medicine, could be old-fashioned when it came to the living arrangements of his daughter. Riley failed to bring this concern up to her significant other and held it deep within her, hoping it would be bottled up and locked away for now.

Severus, on the other hand was not as pleased with the ceremonial aspect of the day. He was eager to move on with his studies and his future with Riley, but was deterred by his lack of loved ones in attendance. Riley knew better than to dive into this subject and hoped that the support and love of her own family would replace the emptiness Severus would feel on the arrival of that day.

There was quite the hustle and bustle back in the Gryffindor Common Room as students prepared for their impending departure, the arrival of loved ones, and the illustrious graduation ceremony. As students fluttered back and forth between doorways, Riley sat by the fire with Sirius, James, and Lily enjoying a moment of peace before the celebrations commenced. Riley stared into the fire, her thoughts lingering on her upcoming introductions to her parents and the sadness of the departure of Hogwarts mixing with the happiness of being together with Severus in solitary bliss.

"You okay, Ry?" Sirius asked her, his gray eyes soberly searching her face.

In the past couple of months, her friendship with Sirius had become steadier in nature in which they found comfort in each other's presence. After Riley realized that Sirius was no longer hungrily lusting after her, they took time to converse and learn more about each other. Like Severus, Sirius found Riley easy to read and they often spoke of her concerns about the outside world. Sirius had quietly revealed that their headmaster had recruited the four marauder friends to join in a secret organization to combat the Dark Lord once they were out of school. Riley was surprised by Dumbledore's initiative and his willingness to throw his beloved students into the ring so soon. Sirius had explained to her the importance of their role in this impending war and had borderlined convinced her to dip her feet in the obscure pool of the order. Knowing Severus would have none of this, she waved the notation away, but still listened intently to Sirius' pitches, her Gryffindor distinctiveness showing.

Riley's thoughts turned towards the boy who sat beside her on the comfy sofa chairs.

"I've just got a lot of my mind." Riley said with a swift half smile flying to her cherry lips. Her blue eyes twisted over to his handsome form, leaning towards her by the fire.

Sirius' eyes lit up jovially as he looked at her, his hands clasped in front of him.

"Snape's meeting the parents today, huh?" He said with a boyish grin. Riley smiled playfully at him and swatted a hand in his direction.

"That's one of many things, but yes, he is."

"Once they get past the greasy hair and bat-like exterior, I'm sure it will go over well." Sirius said with a mischievous glint in his eyes.

Riley's fire illuminated in her eyes at the tease of Sirius' words. She socked him with a great pound in the arm and glared at him.

"Oy, Riley, I was just having a laugh." Sirius whined, rubbing his upper arm.

"You know better." She said muttering. "I'm nervous enough as it is right now and I can't imagine Severus is going to be thrilled too. I'm sure it'll be great to have him around all the parental love when his parents are nowhere in sight."

"He won't be the only one without parents there." Sirius said grumpily.

"Sorry, Sirius. I forgot." Riley said sympathetically, "At least you have the support of the Potters." Riley gestured to James, "Severus doesn't even have that."

Sirius nodded quietly and looked at James with a soft smile.

"Thank Merlin for James and the Potters." He said gently. "And my Uncle Alphard, who left me all that gold."

Riley grinned at Sirius, "I worry about you with all that gold in your hands."

Sirius grinned back, "Don't worry, Riley, it will go to good use."

Riley rolled her ocean blue eyes and stood up, straightening her crimson graduation dress robes. She tucked her chestnut, glossy hair behind her ear, allowing her gold dangling earrings to stand out a bit better.

"I'm going to go find Severus before the ceremony begins." Riley said, leaning over to Sirius and planting a gentle kiss on his cheek. He closed his eyes, relishing the feeling and opened his eyes with a smile glinting from them.

"You haven't gotten rid of me yet, Brannigan. Remember, we have to sit in alphabetical order and guess which lucky gentleman you get to sit next to." Sirius said, puffing out his chest.

"When I see that gentleman, I'll let you know." Riley said with a laugh, watching Sirius' chest deflate.

"I'll see you out there, James and Lily." Riley said briefly, raising a hand in their direction and waving. The two Gryffindors smiled sweetly with a wave back at Riley and then quickly dipped their heads back down together in conversation.

"Between you and me, I think James is going to ask Lily to marry him tonight." Sirius said in a hushed tone, his eyes trailing over to the couple seated close together in the next accompanying plush sofa.

"I wouldn't be surprised. Those two get closer each time I see them." Riley commented, her eyes following Sirius'. She turned her head back to Sirius, grinning at him and walked out the portrait in search of Severus with a click clack of her platform shoes.

* * *

"Severus!" Riley cried happily, sighting the Slytherin student in his emerald robes standing silently on the lawn looking at the Great Lake. He looked so handsome, standing there alone with his silky black hair blowing softly in the breeze from the lake. His prominent nose sat proudly upon his face and his dark eyes glistened in recognition at the sight of her. Riley had the odd sensation that she was being thrown back in time, staring at her beloved by the lake. He looked as if he were a proud, regal prince in some distant and ancient time. The emerald robes blew behind him as if he stood on the bow of a large ship, ready to discover new lands. Yes, his handsome was a different kind of handsome; a noble and distinctive handsome that came once a century. Regardless of the future and the outcome of any introductions, she felt as if she were the luckiest girl on Earth. This distinguished, gorgeous creature was all hers.

She ran up to him, her robes billowing behind her, her locks of hair streaming behind her and her golden earrings jingling in her wake. She fought the urge to place her lips all over his handsome, structured face as the sight of other students struck the corners of her cornea. She slowed her pace as she approached him and settled for flinging herself into his arms. He hesitantly and gently embraced her, trying to not show too much affection in public with other students filling in on the lawn. She kissed him quickly upon the mouth and tried not to linger too long, though it was tempting to do so. His lips tasted like honey and her blue eyed gaze caught his black one as she separated her lips from his.

His gaze lingered upon hers a minute longer than she expected and something flickered across her eyes that was mimicked in his eyes.

"Soon." He whispered, reaching up with his long fingers and brushing his thumb down her plump bottom lip. Riley shivered in anticipation at his words and his hands drifted down her slender arms, holding her by her elbows.

She smiled up at him, looking vertically from her much shorter height, despite the elevation of her shoes.

"I can't wait." She murmured softly.

"As long as your father doesn't murder me first." Severus said, his voice laced with dark humor. His eyebrows were raised as he looked over her head at the arrival of more students by the chairs seated on the lawn. Students began to take their seats as a pleasantly plump Professor Sprout guided them with a piece of parchment held in her hands.

"It appears that the ceremony is about to start." Severus commented.

"Meet me in the back afterwards? I'll bring my parents." Riley said, turning her gaze from the seated students to Severus' head above hers. She gave him a knowing look and he begrudgingly returned it, squeezing her elbows with his larger hands and releasing her. He nodded and silently walked to his seat towards the back of the cluster of students.

Riley walked towards the front and found her seat right next Sirius. He grinned at her handsomely with his wavy black hair framing his face and turned towards the front of the lawn as parents sauntered in from a courtyard in the castle. Several adults passed by waving at their children when Riley saw her parents walking, looking around the castle grounds. Riley's mother, a blonde, petite woman, stood prettily next Riley's father, a handsome man in his forties with dark chestnut hair sprinkled with salt and pepper flecks. The blonde woman waved heartily in Riley's direction, her brown, almond shaped eyes finding her daughter.

"Wow, Riley. That's your mum?" Sirius said, his mouth agape, "And she's a muggle? If You-Know-Who saw that muggles look like your mum he might reconsider his anti-muggle agenda. Introduce me to her later."

"Sirius, really?" Riley said slightly disgusted, swatting at his arm. "You're gross. You're not hitting on my mom."

"It's a compliment, Ry! The apple doesn't fall too far from the tree!" Sirius said, trying to justify his reaction.

He looked at her with a gentle smirk as she stared him like he had two heads.

"I'm so glad I get to sit next to you for the entire ceremony." She said, pulling her lips back into a grimace.

"You should count yourself lucky! Imagine how many ladies would kill for your position right now." Sirius said, folding his arms across his chest and leaning back in his chair.

Riley feigned retching into her hand and Sirius smirked at her, sitting comfortably in his chair.

The ceremony went off without a hitch. Dumbledore strode forward from the back of the lawn, waving his hand initiating the start of a beautiful classical number that played melodiously over the attendees. As he reached the front of the lawn, the music fell to a hush and he gave a sincere and powerful speech about the graduating class and the expectations he had for the great futures ahead of them. He then announced the names of each graduate as they strode forward in a singular and organized fashion and awarded them with a brilliant piece of parchment, signaling their graduate status from the Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. The misty appearance of tears mingled in with shouts of joy as the Headmaster announced the official end to the ceremonial portion of the graduation ceremony. Lights suddenly flashed in the air in a dazzling manner much like the appearance of muggle fireworks, illuminating the sky. Dumbledore then announced the start of the dinner feast in the Great Hall for the graduating class and their guests as the crowd rose from their dedicated seats.

Riley quickly gave Sirius a departing hug as her parents walked towards their daughter from their seats in the back. Sirius winked at Riley's mother as her parents drew closer and the girl shoved him towards the Potters as the couple arrived glowingly happy in front of her.

"Who was that, Riley?" Riley's mother asked curiously in her charming Southern accent, watching the boy walk off.

"Just a friend, Mama." Riley said, picking up some of her mother's accent at the sound of a familiar voice.

"Congratulations, Riley." Riley's father said proudly, embracing his daughter in his strong, warm arms. Riley smiled happily against her father's chest, comforted by his paternal embrace. His eyes were shining with liquid looking down at her, pride glittering in his blue eyes. Her normally unemotional father caught her off guard and she choked back a tear or two, seeing the love that lit his eyes. She turned her head slightly to see Severus approaching them, his raven-colored hair framing his face, his hands tucked into his pockets. He sauntered at a slow pace, but confidence radiated from his stride. That princely, slender frame caught her breath in her throat for a different reason this time and her father and mother followed her gaze.

"Oh my, he is handsome, Riley." Riley's mother softly said, seeing the approaching figure.

Riley knew her mother was telling the truth by how surprised her tone was. Her parents hadn't met any of the boys she had dated in the past because none of them were as special as Severus. Clearly her mother had seen it too, her gaze transfixed on the young man who now was standing before them.

"Daddy, Mama, this is Severus Snape." Riley said quietly as Severus nodded to Riley's mother and extended his hand out to the Head Healer with a secure facade.

Riley's father released his daughter smoothly and surprised Riley by reaching out his own hand to shake Severus' in a standard muggle greeting.

"Hawthorn Brannigan. We've heard a lot about you, Severus."

Severus looked directly at Riley at her father's words and she sheepishly smiled back at him, blushing slightly. Severus nonverbally communicated his feelings to Riley through their passing glances and Riley cringed, sensing his irritation. The mass of people around them began to venture up the rolling grassy hills, conversation lively and vast throughout. Her father turned with the promenading crowd and sauntered alongside Severus towards the grand castle before them.

"Riley told us that you were the strongest Potions student in your year." Hawthorn stated, looking curiously at the younger man next to him. Severus' brow rose in reply, surprise written upon his face.

"Riley may have inflated my abilities." Severus said plainly.

"You may say that, Severus, but one thing I know for sure is that my daughter does not tend to impart anything but the truth." Hawthorn said firmly, his eyes glancing to his left side, viewing Severus' face.

Severus nodded quietly, agreeing with the older man and kept his gaze ahead of him as he heard the soft footsteps of the women behind them.

"You know, Severus, you could use those abilities to build a prominent career as a Healer. Hospitals are always looking for new talent on the rise." Hawthorn said, tucking his hands in his pant pockets. "If you ever would like to consider that option, you could owl me at anytime."

Hawthorn's tone was calm and warm, like a father's voice should be. Severus was surprised by the amount of care there was in the words that were spoken, never experiencing that kindness from his own father. His own father was a cold and dark human being, which appeared to be quite the opposite of the man who was strolling aside him on the right. He was unsure of how to speak in reply and was caught off guard. Severus merely nodded and mumbled a few words.

"Thank you, sir." He said, thinking the added 'sir' would display the respect that situation deserved.

Hawthorn glanced quickly behind them as they advanced to the entrance of the giant stone castle. He smiled affectionately at the two women behind him. Severus glanced as well and noticed that the two had fallen a couple of paces behind them, engaged in a very lively conversation. Hawthorn turned his head back towards the castle and spoke calmly to the man beside him.

"Do you love my daughter?" Hawthorn asked in a low tone that only their ears could hear.

Severus' normal emotionless mask was stripped at that moment, revealing a very raw plate of emotion. Shock presented itself on his face and Hawthorn took the expression for all it was worth.

"Ah, I see." The older man said with a grin and a twinkle in his eye. "I suspected as much. But you haven't said it aloud before, hm?"

Severus kept up his pace with the man as they entered the stony hallowed halls and found himself to be quite speechless in manner. Hawthorn chuckled at the younger man's silence and patted him softly upon the back.

"I don't need a response today, Severus. Just take care of my little girl?" Riley's father said warmly and then suddenly, his voice took on a slightly chilly edge, "The world is becoming a dangerous place. I'd at least like to know that Riley is safe."

Severus' black eyes swept over once again to Hawthorn's blue eyes and they gazed at each other for a second with serious looks upon their faces. Severus looked at Hawthorn firmly this time and clearly nodded his dark-haired head in response.

"I will, sir." Severus said with true sincerity and a simple tone.

Hawthorn smiled tenderly at the boy and turned around to the ladies behind him. He waved his arm towards his wife and captured her around the waist, pulling her to his side.

"I'd like my wife to accompany me into the Great Hall." Hawthorn said lovingly, making his wife laugh in return.

Severus dropped back to Riley, embarrassed by her parents' display of outward affection. Riley smiled at him, her cherry lips rising at the ends.

"They can be little 'lovey dovey' at times." She explained, seeing the look on Severus' face. "I'm glad you got to meet them."

Severus nodded at her, his black curtained hair shifting at the movement.

"I don't think your father will object to us living together." Severus said in a hushed tone as he watched Riley's parents chatter together, making their way to a table.

Riley looked at Severus with a new found respect glittering in her light blue eyes. She touched his arm softly as they continued to walk closely together.

"How did you manage that?" She asked in a curious voice.

"He is concerned about your safety. I assured him that I will keep you safe." Severus said, pulling out a seat for her at the white-clothed, transfigured smaller tables.

Riley's eyes met his and she practically melted under his gaze. Hawthorn and Marguerite looked up at the same time to see their daughter seated by Severus. Their gazes covertly lingered a little longer as they watched the silent exchange between two eighteen-year-olds. Marguerite turned her blonde head ever so slightly to place her lips near her husband's ear.

"Should I be worried?" Marguerite whispered gently.

"Not in the least, dear." Hawthorn whispered back with a smile.

* * *

A/N: My lovely and dear readers, thank you for your patience. It took me a while to figure out how to end the year for my two beloved students and I wanted it to be just right. We are approaching the end of my tale and I want to finish strong. Thank you for reading and continuing to stay with me!


	21. Chapter 21

**Chapter 21**

"You've received another parcel." Severus said, hovering a rather large cardboard box in through the white French front door. He gently shut the door as sunlight streamed in through the individual window panes. Riley looked up from her book on the floor of the flat they shared and her eyes glittered in excitement at the sight of the mysterious box. She gently shut the old tome and rose, uncrossing her legs beneath her.

"What is it?" She asked curiously, walking barefoot across the cool tiled kitchen.

"It's from your parents again." Severus replied, looking swiftly at the label imprinted upon it.

Riley stood over the hovering parcel and gazed down with Severus. She shrugged her shoulders and allowed him to pass her and place the package down on the wooden planks in the living room. Once it was seated on the floor, Riley dashed over like an eager child on Christmas morning and ripped at the box. Severus watched with an amused expression as packing material flew in multiple directions as Riley dug her hands in.

"A television set!" Riley cried in delight, clapping her hands together.

Severus grimaced at her words and looked at her with annoyance on his face.

"Why would your parents send us that muggle noisy contraption?" He asked looking at it like it was a misbehaving child.

Riley turned to her partner with a tickled grin and laughed at his perturbed appearance. She turned back to the television in the box and peered down at it thoughtfully.

"Now I can watch MASH!" She mused aloud in joy.

"Is that a cooking program?" Severus asked in confusion.

Riley laughed loudly at his uncertainty and slapped her knee.

"I'm glad my ignorance in muggle culture amuses you." Severus grumbled.

Riley walked back over to Severus with a sympathetic look planted upon her face.

"I'm sorry, Severus." She said with a simpered pout playing at her lips.

She stood up on the tips of her toes and placed her lips over his, locking him into a steamy kiss. She pressed her body into him gently, allowing him to feel the curves of her body.

"All is forgiven…" He murmured into between kisses, causing his voice to reverberate against her lips.

"Mmm…keep talking." Riley said, wrapping her fingers in his dark raven locks. They sunk to floor together, intertwined as Severus moved his lips to her ear whispering scandalous things that made her blush.

"Severus." She mumbled, entranced as he laid kisses upon her slender, tan neck.

"You know what that does to me…" He rumbled, snaking his hands around her torso, pulling her to the floor.

* * *

After some activity and while later, Riley draped herself across Severus' bare chest, nuzzling his bare skin with her button nose.

"Are you sad I'm leaving on Monday?"

"Extraordinarily sad." Severus mumbled as he kissed her on the top of her head. "But it is only for the week and then you'll be back this weekend to start preparing yourself for your apprenticeship."

Riley nodded against his chest at this rationality, comforted in the fact that the trip would be short enough.

"And remember, after the preliminary set up with the team, you'll be able to apparate back and forth at your pleasure. No more overnight trips." Severus added, adjusting himself so he could gaze into her eyes.

Riley silently nodded again and looked deeply into his eyes.

"Just stay out of trouble when I'm gone." She joked, poking him gently in his ribs.

"I'll try." Severus said dryly, rolling his eyes.

* * *

Thoroughly exhausted from a week of Quidditch, Riley was in a deep slumber, nestled warmly in their bed. She wore one of her many band t-shirts and undergarments as she lay tangled in their warm, silver sheets. She smiled in her sleep as she lay placid and unassuming. The other side of the bed however was cold and empty. She knew not of the missing figure as she stretched her body over, dreaming away. Suddenly, she jolted straight up at the sudden slam of the flat door. She jumped out of the bed, sans pants and reached for her wand at the nightstand. She groped for it in the dark and grasped it within her fingers. She turned her head towards the bed abruptly startled by the thought that Severus did not awake with her. The realization hit her and she bolted out of the room into the tiny living room where she gasped in shock. The front door lay open, struck against the wall and on the floor was her beloved Slytherin. He looked semi-conscious as she rushed towards him, scooping his befallen head into her lap.

"Severus!" She cried, patting at his cheek. His eyes were languidly shut and his skin was pallid and paler than its normal tone. There were purple circles under each eye and his skin was cold to the touch. She pushed her own chestnut hair aside behind her ear and listened as she lowered her head to his mouth. She could hear a wheezing breath escaping his lungs as she clung on to him.

"Oh, Severus." She whispered, her eyes tearing up more than they ever had before. She knew at that moment she had to do something, so she made a rash decision. She materialized a pillow and lifted his head upon it. He looked so weak for someone of 18 years of age. She glanced at him again as she turned back to the bedroom and slung on a pair of jeans and the first pair of shoes she could find. She rushed out of the bedroom, carrying a cloak and wrapped his lithe, lean body in it as best as she could to keep him warm. Grabbing her own cloak, she wrapped herself in it and kneeled down beside Severus.

"Severus." She tried again, with a much firmer and stern voice. "Focus on my voice. Do you hear me?"

She stared at him with unblinking blue eyes that had cleared themselves of tears. She stroked his cheek and was thrilled to hear the slightest of murmurs resonate through his closed pale lips. The mumble of assent was all that she needed to give her the extra strength to move forward.

"I'm taking you to Dumbledore. I will not have you die on me." She said stubbornly, raising her wand to cast a spell. Eyelashes fluttered open at the headmaster's name, and the black eyes beneath the fringe opened and closed at a narrow gap with an unfocused gaze. His long fingers twitched at his sides in sparse movements.

"No Dum-dum-ble-dore—" He croaked out in short syllables, trying to annunciate the words the best he could manage. His voice was dry and crackled like logs on a fire as if the strain of his own words could harm him further. It did not sway her in the least, if anything it made her more motivated to move him and herself to Hogwarts as fast as her legs or magic could take her. She bent over and kissed his now still lips briefly and stood up quickly.

"Wingardium Leviosa!" Riley commanded swishing and flicking her wand as Severus had done for her a many matches ago back at Hogwarts, although she had never known. She levitated Severus' immobile body upwards, lifting him from the floor. He hovered a good three feet in the air as she guided him along with her wand. She led him to the brick fireplace in the flat and opened up a pot on the mantle. Riley dug her left hand in the pot while holding Severus in place with her wand hand. She threw the Floo powder in the fireplace and called into it with a loud voice.

"Dumbledore!"

Riley waited as the green flames illuminated the room with its glow. It took but a second for a silvery bearded man's face to appear in the flames, his head dancing upon them like some strange Halloween decoration. The head adjusted his glasses and peered at her through the flames.

"Why, Miss Brannigan! What do I owe this twilight pleasure to?" He smiled jovially, although Riley caught on to the note of the lateness of the hour. She drifted Severus closer to the flames without allowing them to lick him, as if he could be harmed by their magic touch.

"Professor, it's Severus! He needs help now and I don't know what else to do." Dumbledore's head appeared to grow larger as the face got a closer look at the suspended figure in the background. Something passed in the headmaster's eyes just brusquely before maintaining their mysteriousness once again.

"I see. Well, come through the floo to my office and we'll get Severus to Madam Pomphrey right away."

Riley stepped through the flames, guiding Severus' prone body with her wand. Moments later, she found herself in Dumbledore's office standing in front of the old man who was adorned in deep purple robes. Severus' body bumped into her own as it hovered unnaturally above the ground. Riley looked at the elder wizard with panic in her clear blue eyes.

"I may be assuming the worse, but I think it was death eaters." She blurted all at once.

"Quickly, Miss Brannigan." Dumbledore said in a firm voice, opening the door to his office, a dark shadow in his eyes as he waved her to the door. She walked out stepping swiftly and positioning Severus' body ahead of her, careful not to veer him into the familiar stone walls. She guided him down the staircase of the tower to the first floor towards the hospital wing. Behind her, she felt the comforting presence of Albus Dumbledore matching her quick pace. They reached the hospital wing where she had stayed not even a year before due to her school Quidditch injuries and saw the surprised face of Madam Pomfrey.

"Miss Brannigan! Albus?" The mediwitch said and asked in confusion.

"Take a look at the boy first, Poppy, and then we'll get the details later." Dumbledore said with an assertive kindness. Madam Pomfrey nodded her head remembering her duties as a healer and quickly instructed Riley.

"Set him down on this bed here." She said calmly, pointing to the nearest beige colored bed. Poppy looked Severus over and examined him with her outstretched wand. The matron tsked as she looked over Riley's significant other. Riley stood anxiously on the balls of her feet awaiting the list of maladies that affected Severus. Dumbledore stood calmly by her side with a knowing expression on his aged face. He placed a composed hand on Riley's shoulder and her rocking ceased. She looked at Dumbledore who was irritatingly passive and unreadable and turned back to Severus.

"Cruciatus curse and yes, broken ribs…" Poppy said to herself, examining the young man's body. Riley's stomach gave a sudden lurch at the thought of the pain that Severus had endured and she doubled over, clutching her stomach, suddenly feeling the strong urge to expel her stomach's contents. Dumbledore caught the bent girl and stood her upright, holding her up with a surprisingly strong arm.

"Oh Severus…" She whispered, holding back tears in her eyes. Dumbledore turned her to face him and his blue eyes looked directly into her blue eyes.

"Tell me everything that happened." He said firmly in a clear and concise voice. Dumbledore's voice woke something in Riley and she mustered the strength to stand as tall as she could. She had to be brave for Severus now more than ever. She described her first night back and how she awoke to find him missing. She told her Professor how he had abruptly come home with a crash and lay unconscious on the floor. While she explained everything at great length, careful not to leave anything out, she watched Poppy spoon various liquids into the young man's mouth. Dumbledore nodded at the conclusion of her statement and turned to look back at Severus' currently unconscious body.

"You were right to contact me." He said softly. "I assume you'll be staying with him." He waited for the girl to answer with a twinkle in his eye. When she nodded and before she say thank you to her former headmaster, he waved her comment away, taking her aback. It was like he could read minds.

"Let me know when he wakes. I need to every detail of what the death eaters may be up to." Dumbledore stated and left the hospital wing in a swish of robes.

Poppy looked at the girl and nodded to the bed next to Severus'.

"Might as well get some sleep, Miss Brannigan, it will be a while before he wakes." Madam Pomfrey said, gathering up her materials at the side of the bed. Riley nodded and watched as Poppy walked off behind a row of curtains. Riley slid her hand in Severus' cold hand before climbing into the bed next to him, clutching his fingers tightly and staring at him. She thought she would never sleep in the emotional state she was in at that moment, but after a while, she shut her eyes and fell into a nightmarish sleep.

* * *

Severus awoke feeling oddly sore all over his body. He opened his dark eyes, ready to see his flat surrounding him, but started suddenly at the sight of the familiar Hogwarts hospital wing. The jolt made him physically wince and hold his ribs with his left hand in pain. He tried to use his right hand as well, but noticed that it was intertwined with a smaller, tanned female hand. _Riley_ , his brain shouted at him and he relaxed at the sight of her peaceful sleeping body. She was turned toward him on her side with her eyes tightly closed, her black lashes fluttering from the light breaths her mouth expelled. She looked perfectly angelic, with her chestnut bob framing her pretty face. Her band shirt and jeans looked a bit rumpled in appearance like she had been wearing them for more than a day. He tried to adjust himself without moving his entangled arm, feeling crusty all over. His dark robes were hot and clung to him like a second skin. His black hair was matted to his face and dirty in appearance as he looked out of the corner of his eyes.

He felt a shift in his stiff hand and saw the blue polished and tanned fingers curl in his palm.

"Severus…" Riley whispered, her eyes opening slowly in recognition of his gaze. Her eyes opened larger as the synapses fired in her brain and a surprised expression lit up her face.

"You're awake! Oh thank Merlin! You're awake!" She cried all of a sudden, swinging herself up from her prone position on the bed.

She stood over him, grasping his cheeks between her hands gently, cradling his face sweetly. She deeply peered into his eyes with concern twinkling in her eyes and stroked his black hair with her left hand.

"How are you feeling?" She asked in a more reserved tone, noting the volume of her voice.

"Fantastic." Severus said sarcastically, grimacing as he tried to rise into a more comfortable sitting position.

"Lay down." Riley said firmly in the sternest voice Severus had ever heard.

Obediently, he lowered himself back down to the bedding as Riley rearranged his pillow behind his head. Riley looked at him still with the same unyielding expression and her tone remained serious as she carefully spoke her next words.

"Tell me everything that happened."

"Perhaps I should get more rest." Severus said quietly, closing his eyes.

"Severus Snape, open your eyes and tell me what happened." Riley demanded with an even tone.

Severus peeked out under his eyelashes and saw the look on her face that did not waver. He sighed silently and opened his eyes a bit more.

"I was in Diagon Alley on Thursday when I ran into Avery from school. He was quite happy to see me, which should have tipped me off, and he told me that he had been seeking me out for a great job opportunity that was worth its weight in galleons. Naturally, I told him about my apprenticeship and how I appreciated the information, but I was quite fine at the moment. He didn't seem to want to take no for an answer though and kept prattling on. He insisted that I come with him and just check it out, so in order to get him to shut up, I went with him."

Riley lowered herself to the bed next to Severus', continuing to listen intently to his tale. Severus watched her sit down heavily as if she knew what was coming next, but was proud of her ability to just listen without chiming in. Taking a quick breath, he continued on.

"He apparated and took me to this shack and explained to me how he had told his employer of my great skill in potions. He said his employer had a great need for a skilled potioneer and would pay handsomely to obtain the right one. I suddenly knew I had made a poor choice as I started looking around at my surroundings. The shack was decrepit and dilapidated; no one in their right mind would be living in place like that. But it was too late; he was leading me into a grand room where a man with a distorted face sat in a throne-like chair. I knew at once that Avery had led me to the Dark Lord."

Riley gasped and threw her hand over mouth to cover up the shock on her face. Severus turned his head away at that and nodded.

"I stood in horror as I let Avery introduce me to him. I immediately threw up an Occlumency shield so that that thing wouldn't pry into my terrified thoughts. Apparently, the shock had thrown me off a moment too long and the Dark Lord spoke to me. He said he felt my reluctance, as he called it, and that he would reward me greatly if I were to work for him. He then said—"

Severus uncharacteristically paused, clearly uncomfortable with what he was about to say next. Riley looked at him sympathetically, dropping her harsh demeanor.

"Go on, Severus." She said in a calming voice.

"He said that he would protect you from any harm that might come to anyone with dirty blood if I were to join him. But it was the way he said it, as if it were a threat. He also congratulated me on your appointment to the Tutshill Tornadoes. He heard that you were quite the flyer for a Gryffindor."

Severus looked green in pallor and he turned back to Riley and looked at her sadly, his eyes sparklingly with moisture.

"He was playing with me. Blackmailing me to join him. Using you to make me his puppet."

"Oh, Severus…" Riley said breathlessly, her eyes heavy with emotion.

"And you know, I'd do anything for you."

Riley nodded her head as a single tear escaped and made its way down her tan cheek. Severus maintained his eye contact and stared at her intensely. He reached for her hand with his long fingers, letting their intertwined fingers dangle between the beds.

"I love you, Riley. I love you so very much. I know I've never said it to you. I guess I couldn't hide it from my thoughts."

Riley sobbed silently, feeling the tears slide down her cheeks, knowing that his love for her had caused him the pain he had suffered.

"So I left, he said he would let me consider the appointment." Severus said with a scoff. "Then you returned back from Tutshill and you were so happy. I couldn't do it. I couldn't tell you what had happened. You went to bed with that smile upon your face and I received an owl from Avery. It had mentioned your homecoming and how delighted I must be to have you back safely with all the unfortunate muggle related incidents. The Dark Lord wanted my answer tonight. So I went. Not to join up, Riley, but to protect you."

Severus squeezed her hand tightly, urging her to understand the circumstances. Riley nodded silently as the tears continued to roll down her face. No secrets lie between them, Severus saw to that.

"I apparated back and I told him that I would not become one of his death eaters. Do with me what he wished and leave you out of it. So he laughed and informed me he would convince me as much as I needed. I surprised myself by getting out alive. I expect Madam Pomfrey told you he put me under the Cruciatus curse."

Riley nodded and sniffed, wiping her wet eyes on her sleeve.

"It's my turn to look after you, Severus." Riley said decisively. "I'll talk to Dumbledore and we'll find protection."


	22. Chapter 22

**Chapter 22**

"Absolutely not!" Riley cried out in sheer and utter anger. Her fists were tight by her sides and her blue eyes flashed dangerously. She pointed at a shadowed, slightly healthier Severus in the corner of the room and adverted her eyes to Dumbledore's aged face. "He is not going to be your double agent! I will not send him back into that ring of fire only to get burned. He will not become a death eater!"

The passion that filled her voice had an impact on Severus that he would never forget as long as he lived. He had never seen a person confront Dumbledore as she did and in such a heated manner. Fire burned in her eyes and he was blown away that it was all for him. She must love him as much as she said she did. He did not doubt it after seeing her actions.

"Now, Miss Brannigan," the older wizard said in a calming voice, his eyes glittering with a mysterious mix of humor and frustration. "It was merely a suggestion to fight against Tom. It would be helpful to the order to have someone on the inside."

"Then have anyone else do it! I know that sounds selfish." She paused briefly before continuing on, "But not Severus. He's not the loner he once was, he has me. He needs to be with me for—" Emotion overwhelmed her eyes for a moment while she tried to regain the strength in her voice.

"I-I can't lose him. Voldemort will kill him. We'll do anything else, Professor. Anything. We'll join the Order. Both of us. Anything." Her voice took on a pleading almost begging tone. Her body began to shake and her hands trembled at her sides. "Anything…" She mumbled, as sobs took over her throat.

She had never been so emotional in her life. Just the thought of losing Severus shook her to the core. She couldn't bear it anymore, something inside her cracked. Seeing him almost die that night had sent her emotions through the roof. She thrust her hands up to her face, covering her eyes up to try to disappear behind her fingertips. Her shoulders shook as deep sobs racked throughout her body. Severus dashed from his shadowed corner in Dumbledore's office and took her into his arms. He enveloped her deep within his chest and wrapped his arms around her protectively as she trembled. Tears poured out from the palms of her hands into his black robes, causing the wool fabric to cling tightly to him. The sobs slowed as she was comforted by his warm embrace and Severus turned so that he faced Dumbledore. His young black eyes looked deep into the ancient blue eyes.

Dumbledore adjusted his half-moon spectacles and placed a hand on Riley's quivering shoulder.

"There, there." He said, patting her gently.

"Now, perhaps there's something else we can have you do in service of the greater good, Severus. I didn't realize how passionate Miss Brannigan was about your well being. If only we all had someone that passionate by our side." Dumbledore's eyes twinkled knowingly at Severus as Riley lifted her head from Severus' chest. Her blue eyes shone behind the puffy redness of her skin.

"He's everything." She said softly, staring at Severus as he tilted his head down towards hers. His black eyes met hers and he stared sincerely into the pools of her eyes. He took one of his hands and swept some of her chestnut tendrils behind her ear. The gesture was so much more than words could say.

"My, my." Dumbledore said with a soft chuckle. "This was not the future I had imagined you'd have, Severus." His eyes flickered with a deep knowledge behind them. "This is much more than a school crush."

Severus' face reddened at Dumbledore's words and Riley gave him a shy, lop-sided smile.

"Perhaps, the Order could use you both in various ways. Also, I had some news that two of my professors plan on retiring in the near future. Perhaps, it would be an opportune time to train some of their predecessors before they leave." Dumbledore said quietly and in a pensive manner.

Riley turned in Severus' arms quickly and faced the old man. "Are you saying what I think you're saying?" She asked him, her eyes wide and surprised.

"It depends if we're thinking upon the same page."

"Are you offering us a job?" She asked, gob smacked, "After all I said?" She added sheepishly.

Dumbledore smiled and chuckled, twirling his beard.

"I have heard much worse, Miss Brannigan." He said, his voiced laced with dark humor. "But you two were some of the highest scoring students on your N.E.W.T.s in your year. Aren't you doing a teaching course right now?" He asked Riley, looking directly at her. "You received a scholarship, am I correct?"

Riley nodded vigorously, staring at him intently.

"It wouldn't be a job…yet. I start to offer my teaching positions to potential staff at the age of 21. However, I believe I could convince your chancellor to allow you to take your courses under Professor Slughorn and Professor Despoine. They have years of accredited teaching under their belt. We'll have to have someone in the Order escort you to Quidditch practice, Miss Brannigan, especially since Tom has taken a recent interest in you. And of course, I'd have the occasional Order assignments for you."

"Anything." She said, sealing their fate. She didn't even consult Severus with a gaze or a look because she knew that this was the best future for them both. They'd be safer with Hogwarts walls than anywhere else and no death eaters would get to them there. They'd also be together with eventual respectable jobs. It was the best opportunity. She started to feel guilty of how she pushed her way into this situation and she looked down at her feet suddenly.

"I am sorry, Professor, of how I shouted at you earlier." She said, shamefully, hanging her head. Dumbledore moved towards her in his midnight blue robes and took her chin in his aged hand. He lifted her head to him so that their eyes bore into each other's. His face grew serious and he spoke with a firm tone.

"Don't ever apologize for loving someone so much that you do anything to save them." Dumbledore's voice was clear and precise to make sure his words rang true. Riley's blue eyes locked on to his in surprise with his words and she nodded gently as he let her chin go.

"We should all be so lucky." His words took on a melancholy tone. "Now, I'll have the arrangements made and I'll inform both professors of their mentorships. I shall see you soon. Please be cautious until then. I will send further instructions through the post in less than a day's time." And with that, he headed up a staircase and through a door leaving the two in their own thoughts.

* * *

A/N: I apologize for the short chapter. I'm at the point of the story where I am considering the possibility of a sequel or tying the ends all together and finishing up. I will work on a new chapter shortly once I consider all the potential options. Thank you so much for the reviews lately. Thank you for your loyalty. Thank you for all the adds to favorites and follows. I only intend to entertain you as a reader and it pleases me to do so. Thank you, reader, you're awesome.


	23. Chapter 23

Riley gave their flat one last fleeting look as she stepped through the doorway. It was nice while it lasted. Riley would have liked more solitary time with Severus, but due to the increasing terrors of the world, this would have to do. She would still get time alone with Severus, they'd make sure of that, already checking the distance between their living quarters in the Scottish castle. Professors (or in their case, potential professors) were not allowed to cohabitate unless they were legally married, but their living spaces were conveniently tucked close together. Riley smiled to herself; no they wouldn't be spending much time apart at all.

"You can always change your mind." Severus said in his warm, rumble of a voice.

Riley raised her left eyebrow and rolled her eyes at him, knowing full well that nothing could be changed.

* * *

An explosion of emerald flames leapt from Severus' fireplace. The green glow illuminated his jaded expression as he watched Riley emerge from the flames.

"Really?" He murmured, setting down a stack of books that he was carrying.

"Another way I can reach you in mere seconds!" Riley cried happily, clapping her hands together in childish delight.

"A bit dusty, but still…" She mumbled, looking down and dusting herself off.

"Riley." Severus said in a stern tone, as he watched her expel soot upon the stone floor.

Riley peered up at him, raising her eyes from her jeans and took a sheepish step back into the fireplace. She continued her grooming over the grate and then walked towards the young man.

"You know we'll just be living in one of these rooms most of the time. There's no way I'm sleeping by myself." She said matter of factly.

Severus raised his head from the spines of the books that he was organizing and smirked softly at her.

"Unmarried couples are not allowed to reside together, Miss Brannigan." Severus said with a sarcastic undertone.

"Well, you know, Mr. Snape," She paused to annunciate the 's' in Snape, "I'm not very good at following rules. Besides, who snuck me into his room during Christmas break?"

Severus' smirk grew and Riley's eyes glittered evilly as they stepped closer together.

"Snogged anyone in a classroom recently?" He said with a lifted brow.

"How about in a professor's quarters?" Riley said, pulling on the front of Severus' button up shirt and bringing his head down to meet hers.

Severus' head was tilted down and his raven locks trailed along Riley's cheekbones. His lips were warmer than the room and his internal fire, heated her up inside. She kissed him back, hungrily reacting as if she were claiming him before invisible fiends. His hands drifted to her waist and he stepped back, lifting her up and carrying her in his arms until she was against the wall. Pressed against the wall with no where left to go, she melted into him. Their lips were one and their hands roamed over each other, as if eager to discover on their quest.

"How about we christen the place?" Riley whispered wickedly in Severus' ear.

"What a religious way to describe what I'm about to do to you." Severus rumbled gruffly, taking Riley by her hips and flinging her upon the bed causing giggles to erupt from her lips.

* * *

A group of fifth year boys sat outside on the courtyard gob struck with the image in front of them. Their eyes looked hungry as Severus approached them, unbeknownst to them. He stood behind them in his dark, bat-like manner with his hands drawn behind his back. He was about to ask them what they were doing staring off into the distance when the love of his life ran by a couple hundred feet away. She ran with gusto and was oblivious to the stares she was receiving as she pounded her feet away at the grass of the campus. Despite Severus' lack of enthusiasm for athletics, she was adamant about her fitness routine now that she was playing with Tutshill. Her short ponytail whipped behind her as she elongated her stride, one foot in front of the other. She looked like she was flying, or at least, it looked like her feet were. Her body glowed with the soft dew of moisture and her skin was tinged pink at the increased rate of her heart. It was ridiculous how good she looked, sweating and galloping around the Hogwarts campus. Severus did not blame the boys for staring at this moment. He had a hard time peeling his eyes away as he watched her run in those short shorts that barely grazed her mid-thigh. Her tank top shirt clung to herself in a very appealing away, as if it wanted to show off each of her curves. Severus grew hot under his collared robes just thinking about her in that outfit. He wondered if a bath might be in her future and whether or not she'd like some company. Severus shook his head of these thoughts for now and set his eyes on glare for the students in front of him.

"Gentlemen, were you planning on closing your mouths and moving on to class or were you planning on catching flies with the frogs this afternoon?" The venom that dripped from his voice isolated each word, showing disdain for each student in front of him. The five boys in front of him whipped their heads around in surprise. They jumped up from their spots on the ground and gathered their materials as quickly as they could manage. Severus swore as they moved away from him that he heard the words _ugly bat_ distinctly mumbled aloud.

With that, Severus sauntered up to the grass and in the path of the object of his affection. A grin lit up Riley's face as she slowed down her pace and walked up to Severus. She wiped her forehead with the back of her hand and gazed up at him.

"Hey you." Riley said, in an enticing tone as he drew closer, closing the gap between them.

Severus encircled his arms around her tiny waist, damp as she was, and pulled her to him in a swift movement. Riley barely had time to react as he dipped his head down and encased his lips with hers. His warm mouth moved softly over hers and his tongue darted over her bottom lip, causing her to wiggle in enjoyment. He deepened the kiss to the point where she became breathless when he released her.

"Severus, did you know that there are a bunch of boys behind us? They're just staring…" Riley said quietly in a winded manner.

"I had no idea." Severus said smoothly as he glanced over her shoulder at the gawking teenagers.

* * *

"James and Lily are getting married!" Riley said, raising a piece of parchment up in her hand to show Severus.

"They're so young." She added, flipping the paper around to reread it with a furrowed brow.

"I'm glad you think so." Severus said shortly, as he continued to scratch his quill on the parchment in front of him.

Riley and Severus had begun their apprenticeships with their prospective professors as intended and the work load was beginning to pile on. Severus was studying potions under Professor Slughorn. It was not his first choice, for he was fascinated with defense against the dark arts, but it was a job and it provided the protection they needed. Riley, on the other hand, was under the guidance of Professor Despoine, the Muggle Studies teacher. This suited Riley, given her ancestral background and her love of muggle music and fashion. Her work appeared to be less labor intensive than Severus' but proved to be thought provoking and philosophical in manner. Discussion was the fore front of the subject and essays would be long and tedious to read and grade. Muggle Studies was needed more than ever due to the dark times that seem to lie ahead.

Both tenured professors were eager of the procurement of their pupils with retirement arriving soon and the gratified feeling of doling out all of their acquired knowledge. The summer would be a good start before the commencement of the next school year.

"It's not just an announcement though, Severus. It's an invitation." Riley said, laying down the pearly white parchment next to Severus' meticulous script.

Her blue eyes searched his as she watched him lower his quill without a word and glance at the irksome paper in front of him. His eyebrows drew together in thought as he read swiftly.

"I see." He said, picking up his quill again with his long, lithe fingers and continuing his task.

"We should go." She said quietly in a calculated tone.

"Should we?" Severus said in a deeply sarcastic voice.

"They are our friends."

" _Our_ friends?"

"Well, kinda…"

Severus dropped his quill with an annoyed and perturbed expression and swiveled in his chair at the wooden desk to face her. Riley smiled in a way someone would if they had just poked an angry bear. It was meant to look placid, but just looked slightly demented as she waited for the dispensing of his frustration.

"Riley…" Severus started, his voice a proverbial warning for his upcoming thoughts.

"They are in the Order with us." Riley said pragmatically.

"Yes, an Order that has not yet included us." Severus said.

"But they will soon. And it will be uncomfortable each time we see them because they'll recall that we did not attend the most important occasion of their lives."

He sighed and looked at the hopeful expression that glimmered in those ocean blue eyes.

"I won't here the end of it if we don't go, will I?" He asked pointedly, his hands folded in his lap.

A sheepish grin crossed Riley's face, causing her face to light up with the whiteness of her teeth.

"Does that mean we're going?" She asked patiently.

"If that is what you want." He said.

"Thank you, Severus!" Riley cried, bouncing from one foot to another and wrapping her hands around his slender frame. She pressed her cheek tightly against his solid chest, trying to fill him with the love she felt inside. "We'll get you some cake or something! Though you don't care for sweets—but I'll repay you somehow!"

Severus looked down evilly at Riley and tilted her head up gently with his index finger.

"I know something that you can do. You can sit next to Professor Binns during dinner tonight." His said with a voice smooth as molasses.

Riley discontinued her crushing grip by releasing Severus, groaning in reply, staring up at him.

"Ugh, I can't stand when he rambles on about Uric or Emeric or whoever it is!" She mumbled grumpily.

"Perhaps you can find out who it is tonight." Severus said with a small smirk sliding upon his pale face. "You are forcing me to be in a social setting with my former tormentors."

"Severus…" Riley moaned.

"Also, if I have to wear dress robes, I get two nights of peace." Severus said thoughtfully, tapping Riley on the chin.

"Why do I feel like I'm making a deal with the devil?" Riley asked, her expression no longer joyful.

"The devil would never have so much fun." Severus said as his smirk turned into a satisfied grin.

* * *

Severus dawdled the entire way that afternoon as they apperated with their assigned portkey outside giant wooden doors. For someone who received so much for his mere attendance, you would have thought his toenails were being pulled out by a mediwitch one nail at a time. At first, one might suspect his disdain for the event was due to his former love wedding his former adversary, but Riley knew the socialization of the event was much more painful to the Slytherin than that. He looked so handsome in his white buttoned up starched shirt and thin black silk tie. The buttons ran up that slender, pale throat which made Riley's fingers itch with the desire to un-button them and press her fingers to the cool, pale flesh beneath. He looked sleek and slim and rather dashing. His boot-leg black pants were creased and pressed to complement his long legs. He opted out of a jacket or a robe due to the casualness of the wedding.

Riley took him by the arm of his button-down and encircled her hand in the nook of his elbow. She smoothed down the sky blue silk of her backless, halter dress, careful not to trip on the floor length hem. She lifted her round sunglasses to the top of her tussled, wavy hair and turned to Severus with a glittering smile.

"You look so handsome, Severus." She said softly, appreciating the view before her.

Severus turned a tinge pink, though used to her flattery and whispered gently down into her ear.

"We could go back and make use of our living quarters." He said in sly tone.

"Ah, Severus, you should know when you've been beaten." Riley said humbly with a soft smile upon her face.

She patted him sweetly upon his arm and stood upon her tip toes.

"Don't worry, Snape, I have means of getting what I want after the wedding." Riley said dangerously, tilting her head back and letting her fingers trace the exposed deep v of her décolletage.

Severus' breath caught in his throat as his dark eyes surveyed the exposed area of flesh and his face deepened to a beet red when she caught his eye. They stilled, with gazes lingering as something stirred deep within them.

"Are you sure...?" Severus muttered again, staring at the figure next to him, the hunger lingering in his eyes.

"Soon enough, darling, soon enough." Riley said, pressing her cherry lips to his soft cheek.

Riley turned with Severus pulled close beside her and they entered the doors that opened wide to accept them into the old, quaint chapel. The click of their shoes could be heard upon the stone floors and before them sat rows of wooden pews facing an altar decorated with colorful and various lilies. A few hands were extended as they were waved inside the venue as the doors quietly shut behind them.

The ceremony was brief and magical. Although James was from a prominent wizarding family, Lily came from a muggle one. The ceremony mixed both traditions to amuse both families as the couple exchanged vows and stars trickled down over their heads at the end of the ritual. The bride wore a simple, though elegant, strappy white sundress and the groom wore black dress robes that complimented his black framed glasses. Sirius stood happily at the front, beaming at his two friends as he looked on.

The formality soon gave way at the end of the couple's kiss when the guests ventured out into the English gardens accompanied by the reception tent. Severus encased Riley's fingers in his as they walked through the gardens together towards the tent. Music played loudly through the roses as they drew closer to the party. Riley grinned in delight when she noted the band playing in the corner. Harried and furiously engaged in their instruments was the band from the Yule Ball.

Sirius extended his hand out to Riley as he bowed to her deeply at the same time. His wavy locks were brushed until they were lush and shiny and his handsome face held a full grin.

"Would you care to dance, my lady?" He asked in his marauder-like jovial manner.

Riley looked across the room and saw that Severus was engaged in a conversation with the Evans' that appeared quite intimate. She could not capture his eyes, so she turned back to the boyish man in front of her.

"Get up, you big oaf. Of course I'll dance with you." She teased, pulling him up to his feet from his lowered state.

Sirius took the opportunity as he rose, to twirl Riley around on her toes, examining the floor-length dress she wore in all its glory. His gray eyes grew wide with both comic and sincere effect.

"My, my, Miss Brannigan. That is quite the dress you have on." His tone saucy and admiring. "It has been too long since we left Hogwarts. Why haven't I seen you more? I like what I'm seeing now."

Riley swatted at him and placed her free hand on a slender hip.

"Are you going to dance with me or flatter me to death?" She asked in a mockingly annoyed tone.

"Oh, I'm going to dance with you, Miss Brannigan, and real close. Where's Snivelly at so he can watch me steal his girl?"

"Stop it, Sirius. Or I'm giving my dance card to someone else, Mr. Black."

"I'm just playing, Ry." He dipped her low, pressing his chest into her, "Or am I?"

He raised and lowered his eyebrows suggestively as he swiftly pulled her back up into a full stance. A tango-like number sounded from the band and Sirius assumed the dance's position. He pulled her right arm up and flung his alternate arm around her waist, guiding her across the wooden impermanent floor. Riley laughed at the hilarity of the situation as others also turned around and chuckled in merriment. Everyone present seemed to be used to the marauder sense of humor. A single stemmed rose was even thrown in their direction and Sirius received a round of applause as he attempted to catch it with his teeth. At that moment, Severus looked at from his current conversation and his face darkened at the commotion at the center of the room. Knowing full well that Riley only had eyes for him, did not wipe away his former insecurities, especially when it came to Sirius Black. One glance around the room and one could see that the Gryffindor could charm the pants off of anyone.

Severus was still mulling at the sight when a loud explosion dampened the rest of the sound in the room and blood curdling screams followed soon after.


End file.
